Chieko Chiharu
by yanatobosofan
Summary: We all lose somebody and we wanted to find some comforting way to deal with it, something that will give us a little closure, a little peace. But, there is everything you know and there is everything that happens. When the two do not line up, you make a choice. What can she do to change the future around her?
1. Chapter 1

**Hunter x hunter fan fiction**

**All character**

**Adventure**

**Minna-san! Halloo~ Nice to see you again. I know I didn't upload on my other fanfiction, because I just went home from my school's program about a week ago, so I'm feeling a little bit tired. he-he. So Sorry! But I have been working on this the moment I went home! I don't own HunterxHunter. All I own was the OC hahahahahahaha enjoy~**

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Chapter 1 - Promise of a Reunion

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She left an envelope on her mattress and grabs her teddy bear, hugging it like what she always does. She took a small backpack with her that was only filled with water, snacks, and some change of clothes, some of her undies, one pajama, her favorite toothbrush, toothpaste, soap and small amount of shampoo.

Even for a 5 year old kid, Chieko was considered very -, I mean... Really genius for her age. Her brain exceeds the capability of her age. The smartest kid or you can say, the smartest person in the village.

Some people said she got her observant manners from her mother, the prettiest and the smartest woman in the village. Some says that her brain is an inheritance from her father, who is also known as the world's most dangerous genius in the world. But Chieko has never seen her in her whole life. Hell, she can't even remember her parents' faces. It's because...

They died when she was 2 years old.

People from the village said that her neon-blue eyes resemble her father. And her black straight hair resembles her father. At least, she knew that they were their child.

Why did I keep on saying people knows her best?

Because she can't even know herself.

She's a genius and she's a moron. Seriously, what could 5 years old girl perceive?

The lady that takes care of her when she enters the orphanage said that she had been training for revenge since her parents disappear in front of her eyes.

How can I know about the orphanage?

Let's just say that I have a lot, I mean a lot of connections throughout the world.

She had unimaginable reflexes, speed, agility, power. Only with 3 years of training she masters them all.

It's really funny how revenge works, to push humans beyond their limitations.

It's funny, and it's not. But I can assure you that this is interesting.

I mean, how a soul so pure can can be tainted by darkness, revenge. In just a split second the moment their parents' blood was raining down on her.

I don't know how she manages to run, but she just did.

She runs from the assassins, even though her house was burnt, and her parents were killed.

It's interesting because she didn't get the mental break down she have to went through.

Some people say she was lucky to be alive. Some people pitied her, just because she live her whole life without the love and guidance from her parents. Some people despise her to be alive, people who were... You can say they were jealous even before she was born. Jealous because the most beautiful maiden in the village was taken and tainted by a complete stranger. Yet, the maiden didn't mind all that. Jealous of her wealth that she possesses even after her parents died. Jealous of her intelligence, despise her age in nature. Jealous of the emptiness, the one that some people considered a blessing.

About a year ago, she found about the hunter exam.

About a year ago she promised herself to get revenge, even though she didn't know the true meaning of it herself.

About a year ago, she pushes herself beyond her limits once again.

And now, she was about to leave. To travel all the way across the continent to get her "revenge." For a matter of fact, I called it her own satisfaction. As i already said, she had passed her human limitation beyond limits, even for a girl her age that was just too much.

Her blue eyes work like wonders. It's a very complicated story which you will be complied with later on. It's just... Her eyes and her senses are sharper than a normal human, which makes me wonder, if she IS really human and not some sort of Alien that was conceived by a maiden.

Ehem... It seems that I have trailed from the course just a bit.

Anyway...

It has been 3 years when I first see her. The first I saw her cry was exactly three years ago on this very exact day, the moment she ran away and hid somewhere in the alley, she cried while holding her burnt teddy bear. A present from her parents when she turned 2 years old. The teddy bear is burnt on its left side of the ear, the rest was torn, but she manages to cover it up with excellent stitches.

Yes, it's a little bit dramatic on where I met her (alleyway) but I'm glad that I found her at last. A student who can step forward and take chances better than what I did in the past. A very fragile girl that snap like a twig when you leave her open in the air.

Now, she's not weak anymore.

If I recall, she was stronger than me by yesterday.

Sorry, but I have been living in this world for too long. Causing me to forget things so easily. When was I born? Maybe about 113 years ago... Or maybe 110 years ago... I can't seem to recall my age. But forget about that! I'm dying anyway. Now, this is her chance to shine. To stop being conceited and get on with the world around her.

Have I already told you that she was just a five year old girl? She already pushed herself beyond her limitation and. Her parents...

Why these words did seem really familiar to me?

Ehh! What? I have told you this already?!

Where was I...

Oh yes! I remember now.

Truth to be told, I don't want her to go to the hunter exam. I told her that she was just not good enough to follow the exam! Come on. I mean, what can she get from a hunter exam? It's true it can bring a lot of advantages to find her reveng-, I mean, satisfaction. But I'm too old to accompany her. If I were younger, I would definitely accompany her throughout the exams, as a teacher would likely do to their students. They never want their student to become hurt. They want them to succeed.

Thus, we have a great fight this night. She was yelling at me about how strong she is and she can take care of herself throughout the exam. Of course I would never agree with her, causing my throat to sear this morning because I was yelling her the night before.

3 a.m. in the morning and I woke up because of my throat. I sighed. It sure is hard being so old. I still remember how youthful I was when I was he age and how much fun I experience with my family. Sadly, she never experiences both. Maybe I should let her follow the exam. I know she can do it, but I get the feeling that she will distance herself from me after the exam commences.

As a teacher I always thought about "it". What would she be when I leave her? What would she be when she was all grown up and strong? What would I feel when she -?

My thought stopped as I hear the sound of her door is faintly closing. She tip-toed her way out of her room, passing my room slowly, breathe-less. She know that I can woke up by the sound of her faint breath, but she wouldn't imagine me watching her tip-toed her way out right? She doesn't even know that I was behind her.

She makes her way down the stairs.

Oh, did I mention you that my house is Japanese style? When I go out of my room to catch a glass of water, I went down the stairs and heading to the kitchen on my right side. Just in front of the stairs is the main door. The house is small and simple. The entire floor was made out of wood with my own hand and sweat. So, she tip-toed because she didn't want the floor the creak while she escapes.

When she already went down the stairs and grabbed her shoes, I decided to give her a tap on the shoulder. Just before I tapped her, she quickly turn around and backing down from me with such distance. I frowned.

"Master..." She said with widened eyes, nonetheless she sighed her relieve when she see me behind her.

"What are you doing Chieko?! Didn't I already told you to not to go to the exam?!" I raise my voice a little bit higher. She can only look down on the wooden floor, and hugged her teddy bear tightly in front of her chest.

Just in a second, she parted her mouth slightly. Letting some words escape from her lips. "I...I..." She sounded like a child caught when putting her hand on a jar of cookies just before dinner. But then I thought again, she never experienced that sort of thing. If she did, it only lasted on her memory for a while. "I...wanted to go to the exam..."

I sighed in defeat. I walk closer towards her and put my fist up in the air. She flinched when she saw my arm and closes her eyes, thinking that I was about to slap her on the face. Again, i sighed. She can be so shallow minded sometimes.

I wrapped my arm around her small body, bringing her's closer to my chest with the wearing heartbeat. Her eyes widened and her body jolted in surprise. The thought never escapes her intelligent mind that I was about to hug her. "My daughter..."

"Yes master." She hastily answered.

"I don't want you to go to the exam..."

She frowned and she gulped for a bit. "But master, I..."

"Yes, I know you are strong and all. But I'm worried about your safety. If i was younger, i would want you to follow the exam. I think aging got the best of me my dear." I said lazily while hugging her closer to my embrace. After a while I let arm unwrap from her. "Just wait here for a while."

She nodded while I walk back upstairs, running as fast as I could. I opened my room to reveal my laziness as an old lady. The bed is a mess; the tatami is messy and dusty. The clothes are not stored properly and empty boozes are all over the place.

Gee... Am I really that bad? Never mind. Just where is "that" thing. The shiny small rectangle that come with a book. I flipped my room over and over to find "that" under my tatami at the very edge of the room.

Found it!

I quickly exited my room and go down the stairs again. She didn't moved an inch and she looked at me with such a worried and anxiety plastered on her face.

"Master, are you really okay? You can hardly catch your breath."

It's true, I panted from a little running here and there. Aging... "I'm fine honey, just give me a sec." After catching my breath I quickly stood up and gave her "that" thing.

"Here honey."I crouched down so that my head was at the same level as hers.

She didn't touch the small and thin rectangle like shape. She only looked at it with curiosity. "What is this Master?"

I grabbed her right hand and put "that" on her palm. "This rectangle thing over here is used to store your money in it. I forgot what its name was though."

She looked at me with her blue eyes and understanding look. "I know what that is! That's a credit card right?"

That's it! The word I have been dying to look for. I patted her head while her smile beamed at me, almost blinding. "It is honey. And this is..."

"A book used to store the money information and how much I spend or deposit on it right?"

I stared at her with widened eyes and grin. "Yes it is honey." She smiled again at me, satisfied with her answers, I stood up. "This is the money your parents inherited for you. Don't lose it or spend it okay."

"But Master, what could possibly a five year old child need a credit card for?" She looked at me with a questioning look.

"Well, honey... It's for you. So that you can go to the..." I gulped slightly. "Hunter exam." I said in a low tone.

She looked at me with widened eyes and dropped the bear she hugged dearly and went to hug me instead.

"Thank you Master! I really do." She said beaming with happiness.

She jumped and hugs me on my neck, almost strangling me. "Chieko you are...choking...me...right now..."

She released her loosened her grab from my neck, but she still hugging me. Not wanting to let me go. "I'm sorry Master. I was just too excited."

Dear God this girl... Can't she see that I'm a fragile old woman in her 100th years of living on earth? Can't she comprehend her strength? But then again she is just a kid...

I hugged her back. Tears started to stream on my eyes down to mu cheek. "I know sweet-heart. Just promise me something."

"What is it Master?"

She probably didn't know that I was crying. "Promise me that you will pass the exam in one piece."

She nodded her head. "Yes, Master."

"Promise me that you will send me a letter after you pass/fail the exam."

"Yes, Master. I will send you more than one letter, each month."

I couldn't hold it anymore. I hugged her tightly even more than before, while trying to hide my sniffles from her. I'm truing to restrain myself so that I can let go of this girl that I already called a child on my own. My snots are streaming down to my mouth.

"Master?"

Ah, she has noticed by now. If I talk anymore, my voice will waver and..."Promise me..." I sniffed and hugged her tighter. "That you will appreciate each life like I already thought you..."

I felt my face becomes red and wet. But then, after a moment, I also felt my shoulder was wet. She was crying as well.

"Yes, Master. I will never forget you Master." She hugged me tighter within her embrace.

I didn't care even if she choked me or not. All that matters is her. Because this morning, will be the last one I will spend with her for all eternity. I hugged her even more tighter. But I know this had to stop. So I crouched down and put her on the wooden floor, releasing my arm from her, cupped her cheek and rest my forehead on hers. She felt warm and calming. I chuckled a bit. "Look at us, all covered in tears and snot."

She let a small laugh escape from her lips. But she was still crying.

The second time I saw her cried in departure. But this time, it was different. It was for the best. It was for her future.

I went to the kitchen, grab a tissue and give it to her. She grabbed it and wiped her snot before wiping her eyes. I smiled.

I will miss her blue eyes. Her smile. Her courage. Her soft breath when she was sleeping soundly after her exercises. Her optimism. Her stupidity. Her smart comments...

I opened the fridge and hand her a sandwich. I was not a good chef, but this is the least I can do.

She looked at it in surprise. A sandwich wrapped in a simple plastic, but it looks delicious and sort of nostalgic. Sandwich is the first meal we have eaten and I served it during our last dinner. She sniffed again and her tears fall down from the side of her cheek. She tried to rub it with her arms but it won't disappear as easily as she would think.

I patted her head. "Sandwich. Your least favorite food." I snickered. She did as well. "You haven't eaten anything for breakfast right?"

She nodded in defeat. I put my slippers on while she wipes the tears out of her face and I opened the door. She wore her shoes and walk as I guide her out of the house. She walked outside and breathe in the fresh morning air. "Now go. Chieko reach your dreams. And don't ever give up. Remember everything I have thought to you." I patted her head one last time. "You are a smart girl after all."

She nodded. Took her first step into the world. Her steps are hesitant.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked. Not wanting her to grow too much attachment on me. But I already love her like my own daughter, making it harder for me to let her go into the harsh world.

She turned back and hugged me on my fat belly. Inhaling mu scent that reeks of alcohol and sweat. "I will promise you that I will return Master."

I can't hold myself back anymore. I quickly put my arms around her and hugged her again; she has grown from a baby into an intelligent young girl. "Go, my daughter." I said in a whisper while crying when she puts her arms away from my embrace.

"I'll miss you... Natsumi-san." She said with a faint voice. The first time in three years since she called me by that name.

"I'll miss you too..."

She waved good-bye until I can't see her again. In front of the porch of my own house, I fall on my knees while I burst into tears. Letting the neighbor be woken up by this time if the day.

But then, I realized something important that I supposed to realize before she left. I screamed. "You wasn't supposed to read my diary, you stupid apprentice!" and within the distance, I can hear Chieko laughing softly.

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**Aaaaannddd Done! What about it? Is she too small for your liking? hehehe. Me so evil. Anyway, Rate and Review. Don't be too harsh! I'm a first-timer afterall hehe... Oh, and by the way. If you are wondering, The Master is an old woman that brought Chieko out of the orphanage to train her. She saw the persistent in her eye so she teach her self defense hehehe. I personally love the teddy bear. I love dolls~ the Master and Chieko is my OC. My OC complete name is Chieko Chiharu.**

**Chieko - Wisdom or Child of intelligence.  
**

**Chiharu - A thousand springs.  
**

**so, Chieko Chiharu means A thousand springs of wisdom... I think (?) hahahaha  
**

**Rate and Review~  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chap 2 - Friends**

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Chieko has finally left her village to take the hunter exam with the permission if her Master. During her journey, she was questioned by some people about her age. They never would have thought that a girl can follow the Hunter exam like it's just a school play. Some word like 'How old are you?' or 'Hunter is no place to play games, little girl.' She hates being called little girl by other people. She is little and yes, she is a girl. She already knew that fact, so there's no need for other people to say her gender out loud.

She had been riding the ship for about an hour and they stopped on an island that looked like a whale. She thought the island was cute. She went back to sleep on the cabin and woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of people screaming here and there. Bored, she took the knitting requirement from her bag and knit her teddy bear in the wavy sea. Until someone come into the cabin. An old man with thick white beard and a sailor head. She's guessing he's the Captain of the ship. He looked at the room with pity and the looks that says _'they are pathetic how were they supposed to take the Hunter exam.'_ His eyes landed on the blond man, the tall man with blue blazers and her. She looked at him with a confused face while tilted her head and then he smiled and closed the door.

It has only been an hour since she rode the vast boat; indeed it was a little bit wavy. Just a little bit. But the people around her are emptying their stomach through a peristalsis they don't even need, an exaggerating reaction while jumping from the left to the right. Why can't they sit or sleep properly by some small waves. The cold, sticky and disgusting substance are lying there, EVERYWHERE on the floor. She sighed and left the room to breathe the sea's fresh air. It was only in the afternoon and they already started to puke everywhere. What will happen when night comes? It will not pass by like a thin air right? She went to the forecastle deck and daydream her way out of the disgusting liquid in the room. She shuddered a bit by the cold wind that passes on her shoulder. She hugged her teddy bear tighter to her chest and stare into the sea. Enjoying the outside world for once.

Not just her, she saw other people trying to breathe some fresh air into their lungs. There's a blond hair…well, Chieko didn't really know what gender is he/she. But she was guessing the blond hair is a man. He was looking into the ocean, but his eyes are empty. And there's a man sitting on the main deck, looking at a magazine with some girls weird poses plastered on the cover on the magazine with small glasses that seems too small for him to wear. It doesn't even cover his eyes. The man smiled happily while looking at the magazine. She sighed.

The captain who was steering the ship at the quarter deck stared at her. "Who is that girl? Did the hunter exam allow a small girl to follow the exams?"

The man beside him shook his head. "I don't really know captain, but she manages to find this ship on her own. And she is the only person in the room who didn't puke, not only her though."

The captain looks at the man beside him at the corner of his eyes.

"There were a man with blue blazers and a man with blond her, sleeping and eating regularly like sailing is nothing to them." He continued.

The captain nodded and let his hand go from the steer wheel and let the man beside him steer the ship. He walks down to stairs and walked slowly to the little girl, tapping her on the shoulder. She turned her head slightly to see the Captain's eyes before she return to see the ocean once more. The Captain releases his tap on her shoulder and grabs his pipe, smoking it.

"What's your name?" The Captain asked with a smile while blowing the smoke from his mouth.

She tilted her head once again to see the Captain's eyes and she smiled, beaming happily at him. "Me? I'm Chieko. What about you Captain?"

The Captain looked at her with widened eyes. _'How many years had anyone care to ask my name?'_ He thought in surprise_. 'And the first from those years is an innocent little girl'_ He smiled widened. "Anyone call's me Captain. Feel free to call me Captain in any way you like!"

She looked at him, unblinking and stared at him.

"What? What are you looking at?" asked the Captain.

"But, don't you have a name?"

He chuckled. _'This child sure is interesting.'_ "No one calls me by my name anymore Chieko-chan, just Captain."

She shifted her gaze and lowered her eyes on the wooden floor below her. "Does it feel sad? Not to be called by your name anymore?"

He patted her on the head and she leaned on it, completely liked the feeling of familiarity. "It's okay, I'm used to it. Anyway Chieko-chan, why did you follow the Hunter exam?" He released his palm from her head. "You know that Hunter exam is not a game, right? You are much smarter than that, I can see it with my own eyes that you are a smart girl. From all you can receive and all you can get, why the Hunter exam?"

She turned around and looked at the Captain in the eye, her blue eyes completely mesmerizing to him. "Mama and Papa were killed when I was 2 years old. I wanted revenge."

Her answers completely make the Captain astound yet, he shivered with fear just from her answer. Her eyes look unwavering and dedicated to her goal. The Captain knew that she won't stop achieving what she wanted until it was within her tiny grasp. He gulped. "I…see…"

"Are you scared Captain?" She asked with the innocent look on her face.

I chuckled, completely couldn't hide my façade from her. "Scared of what? I have seen the scariest thing in my life ever since I sail in the sea."

"…me. What about me? Have you seen anything scarier than me before?" Her voice didn't waver. She ask full of confidence, completely conscious about what she just said to him.

He shook his head in disagreement. "You are not scary. You are cute and smart for a child your age." He removes the hat from his head and put it on her head, which is too big for her size, completely blocking her eyes out of the way. Indistinctively, the hat tilted on her head.

"Let's go Captain," he said to Chieko. "I'll let you steer the wheel for today." He smiled at her.

"Is it really okay? What if I crashed on something?"

His laughed beamed loudly at her. "It's impossible! You probably had already noticed how this ship works just by watching me steer it for a while."

Indeed she has. Just by taking a few glances at the wheel and how to control the ship, she understands it completely. He stretched out his hand at her. "Let's go, Captain Chieko."

She nodded and smiled at him bigger than before, letting him take her to the quarter back to steer the wheel.

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The morning came peacefully, but she didn't sleep the night before. It's because… Chieko was busy taking care of other candidate that will follow the hunter exam.

"Chieko…Water…"

"Coming!"

"Chieko…towel…"

"Just a moment."

Somehow, all people on the deck knew her name. Well, it's easy to recognize her, the only 5 year old kid on the deck. She went out from the cabin, running and return with bowls of water on her head and sacks of towels that she hold on her hand. A boy from Whale Island with black pointy hair and brown eyes who just came this morning looked at her when she was trying to give water and towels to the other candidates

How can they get this weak? Well, there was a storm last night that causes the ship to rock endlessly and brutally. Until the morning arrives, they were still in their weak states. The boy with brown eyes went to her and helped her carry the bowls of water on her head.

"Eh?" She questioned as the weight on her head become lighter.

"Hello! My name is Gon! What are you doing carrying all the water and towel on your own?" He asked her with a smile that never leaves his face. On his back he carry a hook around his size and he wore green clothes from up to down.

"Umm, I was helping the other candidates for the Hunter exam. They were sick because of the storm last night, even if I don't particularly feel anything." She answered hesitantly as her eyes shifted from Gon's eyes and the passengers inside the cabin.

"Mind if I helped? I carry herbs that can help them ease their dizziness!"

She nodded as she continues to run to the cabin and giving the towels and water from one person to another. Gon helped her distributed it while handing them herbs that can immediately drifted both of them into sleep. They were doing fine, until she fells someone intent eye, watching the every detail of her movement. When she turned her head to see who it was, the stare disappeared. _'Probably just my feelings.'_ She thought. When they were done, someone tapped their shoulders. "The Captain is calling you all to the deck." Said one of the sailors. Chieko just shrugged, put down the bowls of water and the towels on the floor while Gon and Chieko went out of the cabin.

"Captain!" Chieko said while smiling, waving her teddy bear that she brought with her and immediately hugged him in the process.

"Hey, Chieko-chan! Ah, you brought some company this time!" He sighed in relief once he knew that she already make one friend on the deck. On that exact time, two men enter the room. A man with blond hair and the other one in blue blazers. The Captain patted her on the head. "Go lined up with the other." She immediately complied and stand in the middle of Gon and the blond haired man. The blue blazed man stand next to Gon in a line. The Captain continues to speak once more. "I have called you four here. First, tell me your names."

Chieko took her chance to speak first. "Boku wa Chieko-desu." She said while raising her hand up in the air.

And then Gon also raised his hand higher than her. "Ore Gon!"

"Watashi wa Kurapika." The blond man said in a steady voice.

The blue blazed man looked annoyed. He tugged his hand on his pants pocket. "Leorio." While looking away from the Captain, obviously didn't want to see him in the eye.

The Captain continued to speak once more. "Why do you want to become a hunter?"

"Hey, if you are not an examiner, you can't boss us around!" he said in a loud tone while pointing his index finger at the Captain.

"Just answer the question!"

Gon immediately answered the first question. "My dad is a Hunter." The Captain flinched for a bit when Gon answered his question. Chieko is guessing that the Captain and Gon's father maybe an acquaintance. "I left Whale Island because I want to know why my dad desired so much to be a Hunter."

She looked at him, raising her neck so she can see well. Gon is taller that her, she was about as tall as Gon's waist, maybe a little bit taller, just a bit. "So its name is Whale Island huh?"

Gon smiled at her. "Hm!" he said nodding his head. "You know Whale island?"

She shook her head. "No, no. I just thought that its shape is like a whale. I thought it's cute…"

"Hey kid!" Said Leorio in a really loud voice. "You were not supposed to answer his question!" he said with his usual annoyed voice. He bends his knees a little bit so that Gon can see him better.

Gon looked at him with innocent eyes. "Why can't I tell him why I'm here?"

"Not a team player, huh?" He poked Gon's forehead with his index finger. "I don't wish to reveal why I'm here." Poking his head harder, causing him to back a bit.

"I agree with Leorio." Kurapika said with his usual tone.

Leorio tilted his head a bit to see Kurapika. "Hey! Aren't you younger than I am?!" he moved his index finger from Gon's forehead to point at Kurapika. "Show some respect!"

Chieko looked at Kurapika and looked back at Leorio. "And you!" Leorio said pointing the same finger to her face, poking her nose. "What are you looking at?"

Chieko simply turned her head to see Kurapika, completely ignoring Leorio in the process, causing him to turn white and pale. "Nee, Onee-san…" Kurapika flinched when Chieko called her that. The stoned Leorio covered his mouth to hide his laugh.

"I'm not a girl, I'm a boy, Chieko." He said, narrowing his eyes at the word 'boy'.

"But, you look pretty. Can't I call you Onee-san instead?" She said to him, looking at his black eye with her wide blue eyes.

Leorio burst out laughing, he can't hold back anymore. "HAHAHAHAHAH! PRETTY BOY! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!" He seemed to laugh on his own joke.

Kurapika was now looking at Leorio, wanted to ignore his comments just now like it never existed. "Then, Kurapika nii-san." Leorio laughed even harder.

"What is it?"

"Why won't you tell us the reason why we are here?" She said to Kurapika innocently with her childish tone.

"It's quite simple to avoid pesky questions by offering a plausible lie. However, it's quite shameful to rely upon deceit. That said, if I were to tell you the truth," He grabbed his chest and closed his eyes. "I would be exposing my deepest secrets. That's why I can't provide an answer." His eyes opened once more to look at Chieko's blue eyes in wonder. "I'm sorry, but probably you don't understand thi—"

"No, no. I completely understand. Let just say it simply," she brought her hand on his chin, cupping it. "If you were to tell us why you were here, you will accidentally tell us your secrets. It may involve about your past, or about your family. Maybe a revenge?" She said to Kurapika.

Kurapika can only chuckled slightly, Leorio who were laughing just now, stopped dead in his tracks while staring at Chieko with disbelief. She looked at them, confused washed her face. "Ehh! Did I do anything wrong?"

"WOO! Sugoi-naa! Chieko-chan is really smart!" Gon commented.

The Captain cleared her throat. "In other words, you refuse to answer my question." He look at the man standing beside him. "Hey Katsuo!"

The man hesitantly answered. "Yes, Captain!"

"Tell the examination board that we have two more dropouts." The Captain continued. Leorio and Kurapika stared at the Captain.

"What do you mean?" Asked Leorio.

"Leorio ojii-san, if you didn't tell the Captain why you wanted to join the exam, you will not continue the Hunter exam." Explained Chieko.

"Look!" The Captain said, "Even Chieko understands the situation completely. The Hunter Examination already begun."

"What?" Leorio and Kurapika said in unison. Just then another wave crushes through the ship.

"There are many hunter wannabes as there are stars in the sky." The Captain continued. "The examiners don't have time or resources to review them all. So they hire people like us, to trim the fat. I've already notified the board that everyone else on this ship had to withdraw." Leorio and Kurapika widened their eyes in disbelief. "If they couldn't handle a little storm, they'd stand no chance in the Hunter Examination's later stages. In other words, you only proceed to the main exam if I pass you. So think carefully before you answer my question."

Chieko looked at Kurapika while Gon looked at Leorio. "Datee-saa…" They said in unison. Leorio gritted her teeth while Kurapika is thinking deeply.

"Tch, should have told us sooner."

After a while Kurapika speaks. "Chieko was right." They all look at Kurapika. "I am the last survivor of the Kurta Clan. Four years ago, my clan was annihilated by a band of criminals." He fixed his gaze on the floor deck. "I wish to become a hunter and hunt down that band, The Phantom Troupe."

The Captain looked at him with such straight eyes that caused his crew to flinch for a bit, but Kurapika's stare won't waver. "So you want to become a bounty Hunter?" asked the Captain. "The Phantom Troupe is a Class-A bounty. Not even the most grizzled Hunters can touch them. You'd be throwing away your life." Chieko and Gon stared at Kurapika.

"I do not fear death. I fear only that my rage will fade away over time." Her black eyes, starting to turn red in anger, even for just a moment.

"So, in other words, you wanted revenge right?" Leorio commented with full confidence.

"But, Leorio-san, you only repeating what Chieko already said." Gon said innocently.

"Tch, let me finish my sentence coolly." He said, poking Gon on the forehead once again. "Does that require you become a Hunter?" He smiled in triumph.

"That may be the stupidest question I've ever heard, Leorio." Kurapika answered in his steady tone.

"That's Leorio-san to you!" He said, fisting his palm in the air.

"Places accessible only to Hunters, information otherwise unobtainable," Leorio's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped. "Actions otherwise impossible," He gritted his teeth. "There are more reasons than your brain could possibly handle." Steams are starting to escape from his nose.

Chieko tugged Leorio blazers, causing Leorio to avert his gaze from Kurapika to the little girl. "Nee, Leorio ojii-san, why do you want to become a Hunter?"

"Tch," He crosses his palm "I'm not that old! Call me Leorio-san or something!" but then he smiled. "Me? I'll make it short. I want money." He said looking at her in the eye.

"Huh?"

"Money can get you everything!" his glasses starting to shone under the light as he smiled wildly. "A big house!" He said jumping as he thought about a castle. "A nice car!" his arm in steer motion as he thought about a golden car. "Good liquor!" he motioned his hand like he was drinking booze.

Kurapika's voice destroy Leorio's imagination. "You can't buy class with money, Leorio." A tick mark starting to form on Leorio's head as he frowned.

He looked at Kurapika through the corner of his eyes and tilted his head. "That's three times now. Step outside. I'll end the filthy Kurta Bloodline, here and now."

Kurapika looked at him in anger. "Take that back, Leorio!"

Leorio opened the door and look at him in the eye.

"Take it back!"

"That's Leorio-san for you." He said as he walk outside the deck. Kurapika 'Tch-ed' slightly as he followed him.

"Hey, boys!" The Captain screamed, but no one listens. "I'm not finished yet!"

"Just let them go." Gon suddenly said through the tense atmosphere.

"Ha?"

"Mito-san once told me…"

* * *

_"If you want to get to know someone, you need to make an effort. To learn why they're angry."_

* * *

"It's important for them to understand why they're mad. So we should let them settle it themselves." Gon continued.

'_5 minutes before Katsuo's fall.'_ Chieko thought in desperation. _'I guess there's no other way.'_ She opened her mouth to raise her voice when she was cut by one of the crew member.

"C-Captain!"

"What is it?"

"L-Look…" He said pointing to the sea in front of him. A tornado is forming in the middle of the storm. So fast, causing the water around it the get carried away into the air. "If we get caught by that waterspout, the ship will sink!"

"Lower the sails now." Ordered the Captain.

"Aye!"

Chieko quickly tugged Gon by his hand and pulled him out of the room. "We have to hurry!" She releases her teddy bear and leave it lying on the floor.

The escapes through the room without anyone noticing. "Now for you two—" The Captain turned around to see Chieko and Gon had disappeared and Chieko's teddy bear is lying on the deck's floor. "Tch. I'll take the helm!"

"Aye!"

"Full to starboard!"

The crews are running on the deck back and forth. "Hurry! The waterspout is going to catch us!" They pulled the rope to lowered the sails all together, but the strong wind is preventing them to do so, causing friction to form in the air.

Leorio and Kurapika stand on the main deck, their eyes looking at each other in hatred. They didn't even move when a huge wave pass between them.

"Take back what you said! Take back your words and I'll forgive you, Leorio!"

"How many times must I repeat myself? You should show me some respect. I won't back down." As he took a knife from his pocket.

"Then I have no choice."

The wind grew stronger by each second passing them. Chieko and Gon are helping the crew lowering the sails. The wind almost blew the crew out of the deck, but Chieko and Gon stay in their places. The wave is rocking the ship, causing it to tilt from left to right. Katsuo was thrown out of the way by the wind. "Katsuo-san!" Gon screamed. Chieko releases the rope that she holds and run to save Katsuo. "Chieko-chan! It's dangerous! Get back here!" Gon screamed as he run to follow Chieko. Katsuo flown in between Kurapika and Leorio fight. Without a moment to waste, they both run to Katsuo who will fly outside the deck. Both of them trying to grab Katsuo's arm. But they were too late. Katsuo is outside their reach

"Damn it!" They both said in unison.

Their eyes widened in surprise as a young girl with black hair jumped down from the deck and grab Katsuo's arm and Gon, following her, grabbing her shank. Leorio and Kurapika grabbed Gon's leg, preventing them to fall into the water. Nonetheless, Chieko and Katsuo sinked . Some crews that survived the wind come to save them.

"Pull 'em out! Now…" As they motioned to pull out Gon's leg to pull Chieko out of the water. She took a deep breath immediately after they pulled her out. Gon pull her up in the air so that he can pick up Katsuo too, hugging Katsuo and Chieko at the same time as Chieko clung her hands around Gon's neck. Gon smiled at her and at Katsuo, while Katsuo passed out.

The sky is beginning to clear itself, the black clouds are motioning to give space to the clear blue sky and the sunlight.

"You idiot!" Leorio screamed at Chieko, causing sea gulls to fly away from the ship. "If we hadn't grabbed Gon's legs, you'd be shark bait now." He pointed his index finger at her.

She can only sit on the floor while wet towel is on her head. She smiled sheepishly while tugging out her tongue. "Tee-he…"

"Don't 'Tee-he' me! How reckless can you be?" Kurapika said while crossing his arms.

"And you too Gon! Recklessly jumping out from the ship just like that!" Gon didn't even fidget when Leorio screamed at him.

"But you know," Chieko smiled at them. "You did catch us afterall!"

"Huh?" Leorio and Kurapika said in unison

"Hm!" Gon smiled too. "You both caught us!" his usual smile never leave his face.

Leorio's face stays dumbstruck. "Well, I guess so…"

Suddenly someone familiar came out running from outside the cabin. "Gon!" It was Katsuo.

Gon and Chieko quickly stood up. "Katsuo-san!" Gon said to him.

"Aligato, Gon! You saved my life." Katsuo said while smiling.

"Eh, I didn't save you first. Chieko did!" Gon said, pushing Chieko who had been hiding behind Gon's back.

Chieko's face is red and flustered. "But, I couldn't have done it alone." She said, motioning to see Gon. "These three helped saved you too!" Their eyes widened at Chieko's comment.

"Thank you very much!" As he bowed in front of all four of them.

"No, You don't need to thank me." Kurapika commented.

"Well, Yeah, I'm glad you're okay." Leorio said while a small blush covered his cheek. He was smiling. The biggest smile Chieko has ever seen in her whole life.

"Yeah! So I'll be returning to my station!" He crouched down to pat Chieko on the head. "Thank you, Chieko. I really do." He said as he hugged her closely. "Oh, yeah! I almost forgot! Here! The Captain told me to return this to you." He motioned his hand and gives Chieko her teddy bear.

"Ah! Teddy-san! Thank you Katsuo! Tell my gratitude to the Captain too!" She smiled, turning and running in circles as she hugged her teddy bear closely.

Katsuo chuckled slightly by her childish attitude. "I should be the one to thank you Chieko! Now, I must return to my station, see you later!" He said as he run back to the deck.

Kurapika is smiling slightly at Leorio as he beamed happily.

"What?" Leorio asked, he didn't forget the last fight earlier.

"I apologize for my rude behavior." He looked at Leorio with apologetic eyes. "Sorry, Leorio-san."

"Wh-What's with the sudden change? You sound like strangers." He looked away at Kurapika and shoo-ing his hand at him. "Just call me Leorio…Leorio works."

Kurapika smiled happily.

"I'm also sorry. I take back everything I said. I was wrong." Leorio objected.

"No, it's okay."

"Then…" Chieko commented. "Is it still okay if I call you Onee-san and Ojii-san?"

They both screamed in unison "Definitely not!"

Behind them, the Captain is laughing happily.

"Captain!" Chieko suddenly screamed in happiness. "I'm glad you are alright!"

"Hahaha! Of course I'm alright! I like you guys! Okay! I'll take the responsibility for bringing you three to the port closest to the exam site."

"Really!" Gon said. "Then, what about our test?"

Captain climb on the stairs to get to the quarter deck was stopped by Gon's questioned. He turned back and smiled. "Like I said, it's my decision to make. And all four of you pass!"

Leorio and Kurapika are smiling in triumph while Gon and Chieko jumped into the air as high as they can "Yay!" and hand-five each other.

"Now that I recall Captain," said Kurapika. "I don't really remember Chieko telling us why did she wanted to be a Hunter at such a young age…" He said while thinking back again.

Chieko gulped slightly. Frozen in her place.

"Now that you mentioned it, I also didn't remember…" Leorio said while cupping his chin with his fingers. "Nee Gon. Do you remember?"

"No." Gon said while shaking his head left and right.

"Why you wanted to become a Hunter at such a young age, Chieko?" Kurapika asked her. Leorio and Gon stare at her intently while the Captain stopped on his track, looking back at her.

"I…"Leorio, Kurapika and Gon's faces stared at them intently. She looked to her left to see that the Captain stopped as well. "I…I wanted to become a Hunter because…" She gulped. "My parents… were killed at the age of 2 years old. I wanted revenge." Her answer making Kurapika, Gon and Leorio astounded.

"Do you really know what revenge means?" Leorio asked her in fear.

"Yes." She nodded while looking at the wooden deck. "An eye for an eye. A blood for a blood, A tear for a tear. A family…for a family." She said, her tone unwavering.

Kurapika patted her on the head. "It's okay, I understand. Who thought you about self defense?" He asked.

"Master Natsumi…"

"Wait!" The Captain quickly said as he runs to grab Chieko by her shoulder. "Did you say Natsumi?"

Chieko nodded.

"She was my ex-wife…" The Captain continued, sweat dropping…

* * *

**Haloo! I know this is really fast, coz I just uploaded the first FF like a few hours ago. But Hunter x Hunter is really good! I just don wanna stop! My brain is so full of inspiration!**

**In case, these is some japanese words you might wanna know:**

**Boku wa Chieko-desu - My name is Chieko**

**Ore Gon! - Mine is Gon**

**Watashi wa Kurapika. - My name is Kurapika**

**Onee-san - Big sister**

**Onii-san - Big Brother**

**Ojii-san - Uncle**

**Sugoi - Awesome**

**Datee-saa - That's what he/she said**

**Aligato - Thank you**

**Rate and Review~  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Test

After a few hours of travelling on the sea, Chieko, Gon, Kurapika and Leorio finally reached the Dolle Harbor safely. Kurapika and Leorio go down the ship first to see the situation all around them.

"Thanks, Captain!" Goan said while shaking the Captain's hand. "I had a great time!"

"Me too!" Chieko said happily while raising her palm in the air. "Thank you for letting me steer the ship Captain!" She grabbed the Captain's hat on her head and handed it back to the Captain "Even though… I almost go to the wrong side of the island." She said while rubbing the back of her head.

The Captain laughed with his heavy voice. "There's a first time for everything Chieko-chan! And you did well for your first time." He said while taking his hat back and putting it on his own. "But, I had my fun too! I almost forgot! As a token for my appreciation, I'll give you two some advice."

Chieko and Gon looked at each other before they looked at the Captain's brown orbs. "Advice?" They said together.

The Captain pointed to the tall tree on the top of the mountain. "Look, see that big cedar tree on the hilltop?" Chieko and Gon looked at where The Captain index finger pointed and nodded. "You should make your way there first. It's a shortcut to the exam site."

"A shortcut?" Gon said in surprise. A stranger who just walk down on a different ship seems to notice the hint and hid behind the nearest wooden box. "Got it! So we just need to head for that tree! We'll do that Captain!"Gon continued before he bowed slightly. "Thank you!"

"Best of luck!" Captain said with a smile.

Gon run to the harbor and jumped back to wave at the Captain. "Yep! Same to you! Take care!"

"Wait for me Gon nii-san!" She run to follow Gon but turn back and bowed deeply at the Captain. "Thank you for taking care of me and Master Natsumi!" She said in a distant before leaving to follow Gon.

"What do you mean by taking care!?" He screamed slightly while Chieko only laughed. "Tch Natsumi, your student is as annoying and as smart as you do!" The Captain said before he turned back on his ship with the biggest smile plastered on his face.

* * *

Four of them stopped in front of a giant map that was used by tourist for direction. "Huh…That's strange. According to the notice I received, the exam is supposedly held somewhere in Zaban City. But the Captain pointed out the place even further from Zaban city." Leorio said as he pointed the Cedar tree and Zaban city that has difference in miles away. "That tree is pointed at other direction." Leorio continued.

Kurapika crosses his arm. "Perhaps you misheard him?"

Chieko shook her head in disagreement.

"No, he told us to head toward that Cedar tree…" Gon continued as he pointed the tree on the map.

"I promised Captain." Chieko said while looking at the Cedar tree on the top of the mountain intently. "People shouldn't break their promises, right?" She looked at Gon, expecting a crystal clear answer.

"Are you serious? The bus to Zaban city is about to leave you know." Leorio said as he pointed to the bus behind him. Chieko ignored him while she started walking towards the mountain. "We should just take it." Leorio continued, but he still got no answer. Chieko only waved to Leorio, Kurapika and Gon.

"Anyway, I'll go have a look."Gon said as he follows Chieko's footsteps. "The Captain must have has a reason to suggest that." He walked slowly as he waved goodbye to Kurapika and Leorio.

Kurapika laughed for a bit. "I'll follow them."

"EH!" Leorio's eyes widened in surprise.

"Right now, Chieko and Gon behavior interest me more than the Captain's advice. I'm going with them." Kurapika said while walking away from Leorio, following Gon's footsteps.

* * *

When Chieko, Gon and Kurapika are walking, Chieko heard Leorio's footsteps following them from afar. She stopped.

Gon and Kurapika looked at her with curiosity as they stopped with her as well. "What are you doing, Chieko?" asked Kurapika.

"Eh, isn't it obvious?"She said in her childish tone while she's looking at Kurapika. "I'm waiting for Leorio Ojii-san." She answered.

"OII, WAIT FOR ME!" Leorio's screamed are heard from the distance while he's running in Godspeed towards them.

"Hurry up Leorio Ojii-san, or we will leave you behind." She screamed at Leorio while laughing. Kurapika looked at her with satisfaction while Gon watched Leorio running with his usual smile.

During the journey, Leorio kept on chattering about 'how they will get lonely without him, so he decided to tag along' thing. Chieko didn't really pay any attention to what Leorio is saying, she believed that Leorio followed them because maybe he knew that the bus to Zaban is a trap for rookies. She continued to hug her teddy bear while Gon hold one of her hand, like he was responsible for taking care of her. She continued to glance back through the corner of her eyes, feeling something conspicuous that follow them all the way from the harbor to here, but she continued to ignore it. After a while, they finally reached a small village.

"This is a creepy place…" Leorio said as he continued walking. "I don't see a single person."

Chieko tilted her head to the side so that she can see Leorio. "No," She shook her head "There are plenty here…"

Gon nodded in agreement.

"What?" Leorio starting to look left and right as he's trying to find some human trails.

A large door on their side suddenly started to open. Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio jolted a back in surprise while Chieko stayed quite in her place. The door bring a long carriage filled with 6 people with different instruments and a raven while an old lady is sitting in a middle of them. "Doki-doki…" the old lady said, breaking the silence. "Doki-doki…" Leorio started to gulp because of the intense effect the old lady is causing. "Exciting two-choice quiz!" The old lady said in a completely different tone, startling Leorio in the process. The people besides the old lady starting to play some sort of opening music while the raven gawk at the end. Chieko, Gon, Kurapika and Leorio sweat dropped, they didn't expect this coming.

"You all are headed for that tree on the hill, correct?" asked the old lady. "To reach that tree, you must pass through this town, where I shall administer a single-question quiz. You'll have five second to state your answer. Give the wrong answer and you are disqualified. Your answer will be either number 1 or 2. Any other answer will be considered incorrect."

"Nee Gon nii-san, "

"Nani, Chieko?"

She pointed her index finger at one of the people standing besides the old lady. "Can I pet the crow?"

Gon can only looked at down at her with a smile. "That's no time to do that…"

"Hold on!" Leorio commented, completely ignoring Chieko's questioned. "All three of us share one question? So if one of them answers incorrectly, I'm disqualified too?"

"As if that would happen!" Kurapika said while crossing his arm in annoyance. "What scares me is the high likelihood of the vice versa happening."

"But, it will be easier right?" Chieko commented, brought everyone's attention on her, including the old lady. "Only one of us needs to know the answer." She looked at Leorio and Kurapika, shifted her gaze once in a while.

"Ohh," The old lady said in interest. "What's your name little girl?"

"Boku wa Chieko-desu!" She said while raising her arm up in the air.

"Chieko-chan, you seemed to have figure out what the quiz will be." The old lady suspected, but Chieko nodded with a smile.

"The quiz looks easy for me." She said with a smiled that beamed brightly.

"Its fine I guess, I bad with quiz after all!" Gon commented.

A stranger that had been following them finally showed up. "You there, you better make it fast!"

"Who are you?" asked Leorio.

"He followed us here, all the way from the port." Gon answered him.

"Huh? Seriously?"

"Sorry, kid." The stranger continued. "I happened to overhear your conversation."

"What will you do?" asked the old lady.

"Well, I think it will be better if he take it first, that way we will know what kind of quiz we will be facing." Leorio answered.

"I don't mind." Gon said.

"I have no objections." Kurapika said.

"I don't really care." Chieko said.

"Then I get to it." He grinned with triumph.

"Here's your first question. Evil villains have captured your mother and lover. You can save only one. Select 1 for your mother or 2 for your lover." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Which will you save?"

Gon, Kurapika and Leorio flinched at the question given by the old lady. "H-how is this even a quiz?" Leorio asked in frustration.

"Chieko," Kurapika said, referring to the girl beside him. "You knew about the questions since the old lady had given you the theme?"

"Sort of…" She answered lazily while looking at the ground below her. "It's kinda easy to guess, so…" but then her eyes shifted again at the stranger in front of her, curious of what he will answer.

The stranger smiled. "The answer is 1."

"Oh? Why do you say that?" asked the old lady.

"Because you can't replace your mother. But you can find another lover." The stranger answered.

"Eh… that's not really wise…" Chieko said, objecting the man.

"Then, would you rather get your mother killed?" he taunted.

"She's already dead…" Chieko said looking away from him. "I prefer to save both."

The old lady pointed to the pathway behind her. "You may pass."

"What?" Leorio objected. "Hey, now! That's a bull! How was that the right answer?"Kurapika is looking at the angry Leorio "We're supposed to give the answer the old lady wants?" Gon crosses his arm and think deeply. "And that's considered correct?" Chieko only hugged her teddy bear tighter. "Hey, say something!" Leorio continued, but only the crow complied with his question. "I won't putup with this sham. I'll find a different route." He said as he started to turn back.

"It's too late." The old lady suddenly said. "Refuse to take the quiz and you're disqualified. "She said calmly.

Leorio gritted his teeth in frustration. "Th-That's just ridiculous! Different people would expect different answers!" he started to point his index finger at the old lady. "There's no right answer!" Leorio said in anger.

Chieko and Kurapika's eyes widened in realization. "No right answers…" Kurapika muttered. _'I see!'_

'_It means there should only one clear answer.' _Chieko thought. Kurapika looked at Chieko, but Chieko can't do anything. She can only raise her index finger to her mouth while smiling in triumph. "Sshh…"

The old lady's eyes widened in surprise.

"Leorio!" Kurapika screamed.

"Wait!" The old lady said, raising her palm in the air. "Not another word from you two. Say anything but the answer, and you're immediately disqualified."

Leorio can only gritted his teeth more and more. His frowned deepened while tick mark is forming on his head.

"Here is your question. Your son and daughter have been kidnapped. You can only rescue one which one will you choose. Select one your son or two your daughter. Which one will you rescue?" Leorio can only gritted his teeth at the old lady's question. His eyes are filled with anger.

The lady started to count. "Five." Leorio grabbed the nearest piece of wood "Four."He swings it up and down. "Three." Kurapika stared at Leorio with fear and frustration in his eyes. "Two." Chieko stared at the old lady. "One." Gon continued to think deeply in his thoughts. "Buzz. Time's up." With no time to waste, Leorio jumped in front of the lady and swing the wood up in the air to hit her. But Kurapika shield the lady with his wooden bats.

"What are you doing Kurapika?! I won't be satisfied until I've taught this hag a lesson!"

"Calm down, Leorio!"

"How am I supposed to calm down?!"

"Datte…" Chieko barge into their fight, brought Leorio attention to her "If Leorio ojii-san didn't calm down, Leorio ojii-san will waste our correct response!" She pouted.

"Eh?" He tilted his head to his side. "Correct response?"

"We gave the right answer." Kurapika explained as he hid his wooden bat on his back. "Silence was the correct response."

"Before, Leorio ojii-san hit the bulls' eye." Chieko continued.

Kurapika nodded. "You hit the nail on the head."

* * *

"There's no right answer!"

* * *

"Precisely. This quiz has no right answer. However, we could only state 1 or 2 as the answer…" Kurapika explained once again. "In other words, we weren't meant to respond at all. Silence was the only response." As he brought his index finger to his mouth, just as Chieko did.

"But," Leorio pointed at the other way, pointed by the old lady. "What about the other guy?"

Kurapika shook his head. "They never said he gave the right answer. She only said 'You may pass.' In other words, this path is the wrong path." He turned to face the old lady. "Am I right?"

The old lady smiled. "Precisely." As she stand up to show the exit. "The correct path is over here." She said pointing to where the old lady and other people come in before. "This leads directly to the tree. Walk two hours, and you'll reach the top."

Leorio face sighed in defeat and relieve. "Oh, so that's what this was about…"

"A couple live in the cabin beneath that tree. They serve as Navigators. If you meet their standards, I believe that they will guide you to the exam site."

Leorio loosened his grip on the piece of wood, causing it to clatter against the ground where he stands. He walked and bowed deeply in front of the old lady. "Gran, I'm sorry for my rudeness."

"Don't be, I don't mind." Leorio raised his head to see the old lady. "I do this job because I enjoy meeting people like you." She continued. She turned and walks in front of Chieko and pats her on the head. "Do your best to become a good Hunter." She said with a warm smile.

Leorio smiled and laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Gon sighed and fall on his back. "It's no use. I can't think of an answer."

They all laughed at Gon's denseness. "You were still trying to fond an answer? You can stop." Leorio said.

"Huh? Why?"

"The quiz is over." Kurapika noted.

"I know. But…But you know…What if I run into a situation like that and I can save only one person…What should I do then?"His brown orbs looked straight into their eyes. "It wouldn't be right to choose just one, just like what Chieko-chan said. But one day, I might have to make that choice."

Silence broke the atmosphere around them.

"Then, save more than one person." Chieko said, breaking the silence.

"Eh?"

"Natsumi-san once said, _'It's funny what love and hatred can do to a person, such simple feelings affected greatly on the person that you love. You wanted to do anything for that person, even giving your life to save that person.'_ So I thought," She hugged her teddy bear tighter than before and looked straight into their eyes "If I can't saved both of them, I will sacrifice myself so that other people may live on!"Her eyes looked very determined with courage. For once since they met Chieko, the thought that she experiences more pain than what other people had ever experienced never crossed their minds. The thought of sacrificing oneself to save other…

'_That's right. That is the true purpose of this test.'_ Kurapika, Leorio, Gon and Chieko waved good-bye at them to take their leave. '_You must be prepared to face the worst possible scenarios…'_ Before the door closed, Arisa bowed deeply at them, thanking them for one last time_. 'Because harsh realities strikes without warning. You must be prepared for the day the paths to diverge'_

* * *

When they walked for the first one hour, the journey becomes quiet and everyone was enjoying the silence. But when two hours barely passed, Leorio started to complain about almost everything. But the thing that disturbed Chieko was the sign that they kept on seeing when they walked here. "Beware of Magical Beasts!" it says. As a child, Chieko believed in monsters, whether they hide under your bed or inside the closet. When she first lived with Natsumi, the first three weeks was torture to not have someone peeking at the bottom of the bed or checking the closets to ensure her safety. But as she sleeps there every night, she completely ignored the feeling, because she believed that the monsters are afraid of Natsumi. Now, Natsumi is not here, seeing the magical beast sign over and over make her tremble just a bit.

Gon who was holding her hand for the whole trip felt her hand tremble slightly each time Leorio mentioned the word beast or monster, making Gon curious about the fact that Chieko 'IS' afraid of monsters and such things, but he asked her anyway.

"Chieko, are you probably afraid of monsters?" Gon asked with his usual smile.

"N-No, why did Gon nii-san asked?" She looked at him, smiling.

Kurapika even brought his ears to the different conversation Gon is capturing right now, making his eyes wonders to Chieko's body which trembles slightly.

"It's because, you have been flinching during the whole journey as Leorio-san mentioned the word Magical Beast or Monsters."Gon answered.

Chieko tighten her grip around Gon's hand and she blushed. "A-A little bit…"

Kurapika patted her head. "That's okay; everyone must be scared of something throughout their lives." He said with a smile. "If a monster comes, we will protect you. So, relax and trust us, okay?"

Chieko looked at Kurapika and she smiled. "Of course!"

Kurapika pointed his index finger at a house just behind the Cedar tree. "Look, there's a house over there, maybe that's where the Navigator lives."

The house is small and cozy, but there was no light emitting from inside the window. Leorio knocks on the door while Chieko is hiding behind Gon's back. "Hello? Anyone home?"

"Are they out?" Gon asked.

Leorio turn the doorknob. Surprisingly, the door is not locked. "We're coming in." Leorio said. All four of them flinched when they saw that the room furniture is destroyed in and out, a man is lying on the wooden floor as a tall animal with long ears are looming over him. Its eyes are beaming red and he smiled in satisfaction as it strangles the neck of a woman.

"A magical Beast?!" Leorio complied.

"A transforming Magical Beast, the Kiriko!" Kurapika explained. "They can take the human form! That's an extremely intelligent creature!"

"A beast?" Chieko eyes widened in surprise as her body trembles in fear.

"Chieko, hide behind me!" Kurapika ordered. He grab Chieko behind his back.

"He's holding a woman on his hand!" Gon said in surprise.

"And the man on the floor needs some medical attention! Tch." Leorio noted.

Kiriko quickly runs out, crushing the nearest window as it took the woman as a hostage. Chieko, Kurapika and Gon run to the window, stopped by the man's plead. "P-Please…Please save my wife…"his body was filled with blood and wounds as he lied there, trying to reach the kidnapped woman. Leorio quickly opened his suitcase and sit beside the husband to treat his wounds.

Gon jumped out the window, followed by Kurapika. "Leorio, we'll leave Chieko and the injured man to you!" Kurapika said in a hurry.

"Got it!"

"Wait! The Beasts are—"Chieko trying to run after Gon and Kurapika only to be stopped by Leorio's hand over the blades on her shoulder.

"Relax Chieko! Gon and Kurapika will do just fine!" Leorio said as he continues treating the man in need. Chieko can only comply with his request as she nodded. Hugging her teddy bear in her arms tighter towards her chest as she trying to think by closing her eyes. Leorio ignored her for a while, he finished treating the man's wounds and now he's calming the man and to put their trust in them as they will get back the man's wife.

Chieko gritted her teeth in frustration as she walk towards Leorio and give her teddy bear to him.

"Huh? What do you want Chieko? Do you want this man to hug the doll?" Leorio asked in confusion.

Chieko shook her head in disagreement. "No Leorio-san." Leorio flinched as Chieko called her 'Leorio-san.' She usually called him _'Ojii-san.'_ "Can I put teddy-san in your care for a while?"

Leorio grab the teddy bear she had given him with his eyes confused. "What does this means?"

Her head tilted to the broken mirror and her eyes looked straightly into the moon. "I've got something to do afterall." She said as she run into the forest.

"Oy! Chieko!"

* * *

Gon and Kurapika runned inside the dark forest to look for the kidnapped woman. Gon managed to land a hit on the beast, causing it to drop the woman that it strangles before. Kurapika manages to catch her within the speed of light. Kiriko writhes in pain as he continued running away from Gon.

"Are you okay?" Kurapika asked, referring to the wife. "Are you injured anywhere?"

"I'm okay." The woman began to plead. "What about my husband? How is he?"

"Don't worry. Our friend is taking care of him."

"Please take me to my husband!" She grabbed the blue cloth that Kurapika's wearing on his chest, showing her tattoo on her wrist in the process.

Kurapika's eyes widened. "Those tattoos…"

"Huh?" The woman quickly hides her tattoos away from him.

"You're—"

"Kurapika!" A familiar voice screams to him in the darkness of the forest. "You okay?"

"Leorio!"

"Whew…Guess you guys are all right." Leorio sighed in relief.

"How is that man?" Kurapika said looking at him through the corner of his eyes.

"Yeah, no worries. The wound wasn't as deep as it looked." Leorio smiled happily. "But Kurapika." He started to change his tone into serious mode. "Chieko escapes into the woods."

"I see…" Kurapika started to tighten his grips around his wooden bats. He swinged one of the bats, slapping Leorio's cheek with it and the bats turn around in motion as it return back to his hand.

Leorio laughed slightly as he covers his face with his hand. "How did you know?" His ears are started to grow longer together with his build. "How did you know I was an impostor?"

Kurapika turned his head to meet him in the eye. "I didn't think that you were. I told Leorio to take care of Chieko and the injured man, and he consented. Given the magical Beast is still on the loose, and despite you knowing Chieko's fear about Beasts, I attacked you for foolishly leaving an injured man on his own and letting Chieko escapes from you. That's all."

Kiriko smiled as he jumped back into the air, completely disappears from Kurapika's sights.

* * *

Chieko wonders inside the dark forest all on her own. She started to think this was a stupid move of her, but she still need to this, for the sake of her friends. Right now, she thought she was lost, she looked to the tree that she scrathes before with her own nail, and she had been circling that area ever since, completely return to the same point one after another. She sighed 'How am I supposed to return to Leorio?'

Her thought of despair stopped as she saw a dark tall, familiar shadow loomed over her back, completely obscuring her shadow.

"Little girl… Are you lost?" it said, laughing sarcastically. Her cold sweat dropped from her forehead to her cheek. She turned around very slowly to see the creature behind her. "Are you scared?" it continued. "Then, don't be scared anymore…" It brought its sharp nails up in the air, preparing to shred her off to pieces. "I will end your despair here and now." It smiled even wider when she doesn't react, she completely freeze on the spot. "Don't worry I will make this fast." It swings it's nails to her, and blood starting to drop on the soft grass.

* * *

"Are you stupid!" Leorio screamed at Chieko, while Chieko closes her eyes in fear. "How can you get a cut so deep! Tch, take care of yourself more! This is the Hunter Exam, not some playground!" He said as he opened his suitcase to treat her wounds.

"I'm sorry…"Cheiko said softly, she looks on the ground below her looking apologetically.

Leorio sighed in defeat.

"Well, at least you are safe. That's all that matters."Kurapika noted.

"But," Two identical Kiriko looked at each other. "How many years has it been since someone was able to tell us apart?"

"I'm ecstatic!" the other one replied.

Leorio whisper to Chieko and Kurapika. "Can you tell their faces and voices are different?"

Chieko shook her head in disagreement.

"No, not at all…" Kurapika commented.

"You see," Gon said pointing to the Magical Beasts in front of them "The one Kurapika and I beat up is the husband. While the one that Chieko meet on the way is the wife."

Three of them sweat-dropped. "Which one are you talking about?" they thought in unison.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves." Said one of the Kiriko. The Husband, the wife and two kiriko's are standing together in a line. "We are the Navigators. Our family provides support for the Hunter Exam."

The woman raised her hand mid-air. "I'm their daughter!" She explained.

The husband raised his arm mid-air. "I'm their son!" he explained.

"Man, you had us fooled." Leorio complained.

The same Kiriko explained once again "The Hunter Exam changes site every year. It's quite difficult to locate it. So we Navigators help by guiding the applicants to the site."

"Oh, that's how it works." Gon said, in understanding tone.

"But, we don't help every candidate." The daughter explained.

"We test applicants to see if they're qualified to take the exam" The son continued.

"Kurapika-dono." Said the daughter. "You successfully used the vaguest of hints to determine that we weren't spouses" She brought her tattooed wrist up. "The hint was these tattoo which, in this region," She rubbed the tattoo, marking that they weren't permanent. "Mark a woman as single for life. Kurapika-dono demonstrated that he is very knowledgeable, therefore he passes."

Kurapika sighed in relief. "Way to go Kurapika!" Gon said, cheering him.

"Leorio-dono." Said the son. "You never realized my true identity." The daughter smiled slightly while Leorio is sweat-dropping. "However," the son continued. "You dressed my injuries faster and more thoroughly than any doctor. Most importantly you continued to reassure me that my wife was safe."

Leorio blushed slightly. "S-stop it…" He said as he pull up his glasses closer to his eyes. "It's embarrassing…"

"Your kindness make you worthy to take the Hunter Exam, thus you pass." The son continued.

"R-Really!" Leorio dropped on his knees in relief. "Thank goodness…"

"You did it, Leorio Ojii-san…" Chieko said happily. "Congratulation!"

"Gon-dono." Said one of the Kiriko. "Your superhuman physical abilities and powers of observation make you worthy to take the Hunter Exam. You pass."

Gon, Kurapika and Leorio smiled happily when they telled them Gon passed.

Chieko gulped slightly.

"Chieko-chan." Said another Kiriko.

"H-Hai!"

"Your abilities surprised us the most. Before Gon had differentiated between me and my husband, I met you in the forest, but you quickly grab my hand and pulled me closer to my cottage to reassuring that my son is saved."

* * *

Blood started to drip on her hand as she grabbed one of the claws with only her fist; her blue eyes looked at the Kiriko in both fear and courage at the same time. Kiriko flinched for a bit after she saw her eyes and the blood that drip from her hand. She pulled the Beast closer to her.

"Hurry!" She pleaded. "Your son is bleeding!"

Kiriko's eyes widened in fear.

"Hurry and treat him before the Magical Beasts come! You are the mother aren't you?!" Chieko continued. She runs inside the dark forest, leading Kiriko to the cottage as she pulled Kiriko behind her. "Isn't it your responsibility to take care of your child! Come on! Hurry!"

* * *

Leorio's eyes widened as Kiriko explained the situation to the three of them. "So that's where you got your injuries from…" He said.

Chieko nodded.

"I'm truly amazed by your ability to distinguish that the beast before and the one that you met inside the forest is different." Kiriko continued. "I'm also amazed by your kindness toward my son, caring for his safety more than yours. But, you didn't realize that we are the Magical Beast, even after Kurapika-dono explained it to you." Kiriko explained.

Chieko blushed slightly, as she pulled out her tounge from her mouth. "Tee-he…"

"To care about one's live and to sacrifice yours for others future. Therefore, you pass."

Chieko eyes widened. "Really!"

The Kiriko nodded. "Yes."

Gon, Kurapika and Leorio looked at them, amazed and smiling in triumph.

"Now, we will take you to the Exam site." Said Kiriko.

"I passed!" Chieko screamed in surprise. "YAYYYY!"

* * *

**Heloo! Nice to see you again! This is the third chapter of HunterxHunter. If it's too boring, you can PM me and suggest for another exciting way so that you can read the fan fiction in triump!**

**Rate and Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Phase one

* * *

After a few hours flying with the Kiriko, Chieko, Gon and Kurapika had finally arrived at Zaban city. They walked around with the Son in front of them. Kurapika hold Chieko's hand and Leorio followed them, while Gon looked at everything around them excitedly, moving from one stand to another.

"What are you doing, Gon? We're going!" Leorio screamed to Gon within a few distances between them.

"Yeah!" Gon complied as he run to them.

They had finally reached a bigger place where fewer people stand around, walking and chatting as what they do on a daily basis. The Navigator stopped in front of a tall building as he looked at his piece of paper to make sure. "I believe that this is the building."

Kurapika and Leorio looked up to the tall building. Chieko and Gon smiled in excitement as they run to the building. "It's so tall!" They said in unison.

"They have a really nice building." Gon continued.

"So this is the exam site…" Leorio said, following Chieko and Gon slowly until they reached a few steps in front of the building. "This is what draws…"

"Hunter applicants from across the world." Kurapika continued.

Gon clenched his fist, trying to contain his happiness.

"Hey, Guys!" The Navigator called them. "This way." He pointed to the smaller building besides the tall building that they admire just before. "Here."

"Wait, this isn't funny."Leorio said, arguing with him. "Isn't that an ordinary restaurant? You can't possibly mean that Hunter applicants from around the world are meant to assemble here?"

"I do."

"Huh." Even Chieko looked a little bit confused.

"No one would expect that the Hunter Exam, with it's millions of candidates to be located here, right?" The Navigator continued.

"That's true…"Leorio said in defeat.

An old man is frying a meat with his chopsticks. "Welcome!" He said as he hears us walk towards the restaurant.

"Is the back room open?" Asked the Navigator.

"What will you have?"

"A steak combo that opens your eyes to the light." He brought four of his finger mid air. "For four."

"For four…" The cook's eyes narrowed for a bit. "How would you like them?"

"Grilled over a low flame, until cooked."

"Got it. Let yourself into the back room." He said as he continued to cook.

The Navigator, Leorio, Chieko, Kurapika and Gon went iinside the room by order, walking pass the stand where the old man is cooking. When they opened the room, a round table with four chairs are placed in the middle of the room.

"Wait here." The Navigator ordered.

"Wait? Where are the others?" Asked Leorio, referring to the other applicants.

"I can't wait for the steak combo!" Gon said happily.

Chieko smiled sheepishly.

"Gon, that was just the password to get us inside." Kurapika explained.

"Oh, we don't get to eat?" Gon said in disappointment.

"One in every ten thousand…" continued the Navigator. "The number of applicants who make it this far. You've done extremely well for first timers. Well, good luck."

Gon raised up his palm to shake his hand. "Thanks!"

The Navigators eyes widened in shock, seeing one of the applicants he had served in his life shake his hand for the first time. He smiled, taking Gon's hand in his. "I would be happy to serve as your Navigator next year, as well."

Chieko hug his hips, because she was too small to reach his neck. "Thank you, Navigator-san!" She said with a smile, rising up her head to see him.

He smiled and patted her on the head. "Hm!" He motioned to shut the door as he went out of the room.

The room started to move on its own, going down to the basement. "It appears that this room is an elevator." Kurapika explained.

Chieko took a seat besides Gon and Kurapika with Leorio in front of her. "Bastard," Leorio complained. "That mean that he expect us to fail this year."

"Once every three years."

"What's that, Kurapika nii-san?" asked Chieko.

"The frequency with which a rookie passes the exam." Kurapika explained.

"Huh?" Leorio said with surprise on his tone.

"It's that unusual?" Gon asked.

"Some can't endure the exam's physical and mental strain." Kurapika said, crossing his arms. "It's also unusual for veterans to break the rookies who consequently never retake the test."

"So I guess candidates are willing to rick everything to become Hunters." Gon commented.

Leorio slammed the table with both of his hands and stood up. "But of course, my friend! Hunters make the most money in this world!" He said with a smile.

Chieko looked at him, confused looming over her face.

"No!" Kurapika said, slamming the table with the same manner. "Hunters are the most noble in this world."

"Glory hog..." Leorio grumbled

"Monney grubber!" Kurapika grumbled.

Cheiko and Gon who were trapped between their fight was literally sweat dropping. Leorio runs towards Gon and slammed the table in front of him. "Gon! Listen… every year, over fifty Hunters make the list of the world's hundred richest people!"

Kurapika spin the table, making Leorio's faces further from both of them. "Hunters are associated with hunting wild and treasure, but they are all second-rate. True Hunters work to protect people and the Natural Order."

Leorio ran towards Chieko and slamming the table in front of her. "Now, look here…Once you are a Hunter, most countries will give you a free pass!"

"But its only mos—" Chieko trying to argue.

Leorio cut her words "And no charge to use public facilities."

"Eh! Even the bus?"

Leorio nodded with full spirit. "How are those benefits?"

Kurapika spinned the table once again. "Hunters have many difficulties and important responsibilities, such as preserving cultural artifacts and endangered species, as well as capturing wanted criminals and unscrupulous Hunters."

Leorio run again towards Gon. "The Fame and Money! That's why people wish to become Hunters!"

Kurapika slammed the table in front of Chieko. "Profound Knowledge, a healthy mind and body, and unyielding conviction! These are the qualities on which Hunters pride themselves!"

Both of them gritted their teeth in frustrations. "Chieko! Gon! What do you think!" The said in unison. "Which kind of Hunter do you hope to become?!"

Chieko and Gon backed away for a bit "Well, when you put it that way—" Gon said.

"None." Chieko quickly answered.

Kurapika and Leorio are about to scream at Chieko when the elevator rings.

"I think we've arrived." Kurapika noted.

"We'll continue this later." Leorio noted.

Chieko and Gon sighed in relieve. All four of them went into the basement when all people stared at them.

"Woah, everyone is so tense…" Gon said, breaking the silence.

A man with formal attire and green head hand Leorio a round card with number imprinted on it. "Hello, please take a number." He handed a card with number of 403 to Leorio. "Here you go!" He handed 404 card to Kurapika. "Here." As he handed two cards to Gon and Chieko. Gon took number 405 while Chieko took the number 406. "Be sure to wear this on your chest all times. Be careful not to lose it."

Chieko seems to take interest toward the green headed man as she followed him leaving without anyone notice. "Wait!" She said as she run towards him. She slipped into a few contestant just to get a brief look at him, until she bumped into someone tall. He was bald and his entire attire was completely black. He had weird eyelashes above his eyes. "I'm so sorry." She said.

He looked at him with widened eyes as he sees the number on her chest. "Are you one of the applicants for the Hunter exam?" He asked in a surprise tone as he crouched down so that his eye level meets hers.

She hugged her teddy bear tighter; she's never really good with strangers. "H-Hai…"

He laughed, hard. "Don't be scared!" He said as he stretched out his right hand. "My name is Hanzo! I'm a ninja! What about you?"

She reached out her hand to shake her hand with his. "I'm Chieko; I'm a…normal human…?"

Hanzo still smiled. "Nice to meet you Chieko, then until we meet again…" He said as he continued walking and talking towards the other candidate.

Okay right now, Chieko is totally confused. That man seems a little to talkative for his own good, but she decided to drop it off. She's officially lost, with everyone surrounding her like that and with her small height, she will never find Gon, Kurapika and Leorio in time. She concluded that she another candidates help in finding them. Her eyes landed on a weird tall man with strange attire.

He had orange hair that defies the gravitational law. Below his eyes are some sorts of make up, under his right eye is a pink star and under his left is some sort of…tear? His skin is fairly white and pale and he had strange smile on his face. She took a deep breath as she tugged his pants, the only reachable place in her height.

When he turned around, he had a scary expression that scares another candidates, but she manage to stay calm.

"I'm sorry Ojii-san, can you helped me looking for my friend?"

"Oh?" He crouched down. "Why should I help you?" he said, cupping his chin with his fingers. His eyes are gleaming with amusement and blood thirst as she saw Chieko.

"I can't find them because everyone else is obscuring my sights. They are all too tall…" She said in a childish tone. "And I don't know anyone…"

"Eh? Have you seen me before?" He asked in the same childish tone as hers.

She shook her head in disagreement. "No, because you are a… umm…" She rubbed the back of her head.

"What? Just say it."

"Umm, a clown."

He stood up and narrowed his eyes towards the girl. "And you expect me to give you an 'upsy daisy' because I'm a clown?"

She nodded and he sighed in defeat. He was about to pick her up just when someone bumped into his shoulder slightly. His eyes narrowed in frustration as the man who bumped into him screamed in pain and fall into his knees, watching his own hand turned into something else, he disappears like a dust into the thin air. And he arm vanishes.

"Ah, how peculiar…" The orange haired man commented as he crosses his arms and looked at him with absolutely no remorse. "His arms seem to become flower petals. No smoke and mirrors here." His smiled deepen as he saw the man cowering in fear. "Do take care. When you bump into someone, you really should apologize. Just like this lady here…" He patted Chieko's head.

Other applicants looked at the man with both fear and disgust on their eyes.

"Woah!" Awesome Clown-san!" Chieko said, excitedly. "Can you make fireworks out of another body parts? How can you make the flower petals in the first place?" She asked innocently, she didn't have any trouble dealing with body parts after all.

The clown looked surprised, instead of scared, Chieko seems to have fun by seeing other people suffers, the man smiled as an amused glint starting to escape from his eyes and he laughed maniacally. He falls on one knee, so that his eyes are at the level of hers. "You are not scared? This man just lost his arm you know." He asked with a gleeful tone.

"Why? Scared?" Chieko tilted her head on one said, looking curiously at Hisoka golden slit-eyes. "It's fine if it turns into something beautiful or useful, right?"

Hisoka's eyes widened in fear and surprise… ecstasy.

Gon, Kurapika, Leorio and another man with blue attire looked at her in shock. "CHIEKO!" Gon, Kurapika and Leorio screamed in unison.

"Ah! Gon nii-san!" She said as she started running to them. "Thank you Clown Ojii-san, for finding my friends!" She said as she bowed deeply to the orange-haired man.

"Bye-bye, Chieko-chan…" He said as he waved good bye to Chieko and disappears into the crowd.

"Chieko!" Kurapika knelt down and hold both of her shoulders. "Are you okay?! Did he hurt you anywhere?!" He said in a worry tone.

"Eh… No, why?"

The fat man with number 16 explained. "He's a psychopath that almost killed an examiner a year ago. Hisoka, the magician."

"Oh, it's not his first try after all…" She said looking at the man. "Umm… Who are you?"

"Me? I'm Tonpa! Nice to meet you, umm…" The fat man with blue attire looks confused as he rubbed the back of his head. On his face, a wide smile appears but Chieko didn't bother to exchange smiles with him. Her instinct says that she didn't like this guy.

"Chieko…" She said shortly. "Are you probably…an exam veteran?"

He nodded. "Yes! This will be my thirty five attempts. Ah! I remember, would like juice? As a token of our first meeting!" He said cheerfully.

Chieko whisper to Kurapika who still knelt in front of her. "Is that something to brag about?"

Kurapika laughed slightly. "I guess so too…"

"I'm sorry Tonpa Ojii-san." She said, rejecting the juice.

"Why? Aren't you thirsthy?" He asked.

"But, I don't drink any laxatives…" She said innocently while looking to Tonpa straight in the eye. Tonpa flinched slightly.

"Laxatives…" Leorio muttered in disbelief. "That's why Gon said it tasted weird!" He accused.

"Anyway, Tonpa Ojii-san! You must be really determined to become a Hunter!" She said in her childish tone, along with a smile. "Thirty three attempts! And all fail?" She said, trying to change the topic.

He shrugged. "Ah, yes. It seems luck is not with me for the past thirty five attem—"

"Or, is there other motivation besides being a Hunter?" She asked with a fierce glare, taunting him still with the same smile. "Rookie-crusher…"

Just then, a really loud bell rings and a wall is lifted, revealing a tall hunter with funny rolled mustache and purple hair. "I apologize for the wait. The entry period for Hunter applicants has ended. The Hunter exam will now begin!" He said in a loud voice. "A final caution. If you are short on lucky and ability, you could very well end up seriously injured or even dead. Those who accept the risks, please follow me. Otherwise, please exit via the elevator behind you." He said, but no one is backing up. "Very well! All 406 applicants will participate phase one!" He said, he turned around and bring his feet high on the air and started walking with long steps.

Every applicant follows him from behind, but it seems that he quickened his pace as everyone in front of Chieko is running.

"Wh-What?" Leorio asked.

"The people in front started running." Gon explained.

"He has picked up his pace." Kurapika continued.

"I neglect to introduce myself. I am Satotz, the Phase One examiner. I shall lead you to the exam's second phase."

"Second phase?" Hanzo asked. "What about phase one?"

"It has already commenced." Satotz answered. Everyone behind him murmured about the test as they continued running. "You must follow me to phase two. This is the exam's first phase."

"Follow you? Is that it?" Hanzo asked again.

"Yes. I cannot tell you where or when you must arrive. You need to follow me" Satotz continued.

"It's too easy for a test…" Chieko muttered.

"I see…" Kurapika said.

Gon nods his head in agreement. "This test is weird."

"I expect it's an endurance test." Leorio continued. "Fine by me. I'll be right behind you!" Leorio said full of confidence.

"I think it's much more than that, Leorio Ojii-san…" Chieko said. She was running in front of Gon, Kurapika and Leorio. "There's a mental stress of not knowing where or how far we'll have to run. Instead of physical abilities or endurance, he's mostly testing our mental fortitude."

The clown, who is running far away in front of her, seems to listen to their conversation as he smiled. _'That girl is interesting…'_ he thought as he looked at her from the corner of her eye. _'Indeed it is a monotonous course with no end in sight…'_

* * *

They had been running around 30 km and many applicants have already dropped out because of exhaustion. Leorio started to sweat like crazy and beside him, a kid with white hair is riding a skateboard. "Hey, wait kid!"

"Hm…" He turned slightly to see Leorio.

"You should show the Hunter exam some respect!" Leorio said, raising his voice for a bit.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you using a skateboard?" He said pointing to the skateboard. "That's cheating!"

"Why?"

"Why…This is an endurance test!" Leorio said while tick mark is forming on his head.

"No, it isn't." Gon interrupted. "The examiner only told us to follow him."

"Which side are you on, eh?!" Leorio complained.

"Save your breath Leorio Ojii-san, you are sweating like crazy already…" Chieko noted. Her hair is now tied in a high pony tail; she can't breathe deeply if her hair is covering her face. She's now running in front of Gon while hugging her bear, never letting it go. "And my ear drum hurts..." Chieko complained while closing the ear nearest to Leorio with her palm. Leorio ignored her, 'Tch'-ing slightly.

The boy with white hair started to slowed down his pace. "Hey, how old are you?" he asked to Gon.

"I'm 12 years old." Gon replied cheerfully.

"Hmm…" He said, his face showed no emotion but from his tone, Chieko can guess that he is interested. Slightly. "What about you?"

"Me?" asked Chieko. "I'm 5."

"Ehh… so young…" The white haired man said. Suddenly, he jumped from his skateboard and started running as well. "I guess I'm running as well…"

"Wow!" Chieko and Gon said in unison.

"That was cool!" Gon said as he knows running in line with Chieko and the other boy in the middle.

"I'm Killua."

"I'm Gon."

"You?" Killua asked.

"Chieko-desu!" She said, while staring at him.

Leorio is starting to slow down his pace as Chieko, Killua and Gon advances faster than him without even breaking a single sweat. "Hurry up, Leorio-san! Even Killua nii-san already runs!"

He sweated. "I know!"

* * *

Four hours had already passes, but they haven't reached the goal yet. Many applicants have failed in climbing the stairs as well as quicken up their paces.

'_Tch. As I thought, I don't like that Tonpa guy at all…'_ Chieko thought as she hears other contestant was being paid by Tonpa for taunting other contestants. Leorio was starting to slow down even more. He was dehydrated and sweating like a pig, in front of him, Chieko, Killua and Gon still run straight as if it was nothing for them. Leorio starting to stop and drop his suit case, Chieko who was running and listens to his slowing footsteps now looked at him as she started to slow down her own pace. Gon looked at Chieko and stopped as well, Killua looked at them, confused.

"Hey, forget him, let's get going.." Killua said.

Chieko and Gon didn't reply. They just stared at Leorio as Leorio stared at them. "Tch…" Leorio screamed. "Screw that!" Leorio started to run at full speed, just like a maniac. "I'm going to become a Hunter! Damn it all!" And he passes three of them at the same time in the speed of light. Chieko, Gon and Killua's hair are all flying backward in a non-existent wind .Chieko smiled in triumph and satisfaction. She run back to took Leorio's suitcase and throws it over to Gon while Gon catch it with his hook.

"Now, let's go!" Chieko said with a smile.

Leorio is now following Kurapika while Chieko, Killua and Gon run behind them.

"Leorio, you okay!"Kurapika asked

"Sure! Just look at me!" He answers in full confidence. He didn't wear his shirts anymore, he go shirtless only leaving a tie on his neck. "I realized that I can keep going if I don't worry how stupid I looked!"

Kurapika smiled at his spirit_. 'I should probably follow his example.'_ As he took off his blue uniform and put it inside his bag, laving him with only plain white shirt and pants.

Chieko who was running in front of Kurapika smiled with relieve as she saw Leorio-san spirit.

"Leorio, I have a question." Asked Kurapika.

"What? Is this too easy for you, Kurapika? Talking just wastes energy! Isn't it right, Chieko!"

"Whatever…" Chieko replied coldly while a tick mark is forming on Leorio's head.

"Are you actually trying to become a Hunter for the money?" Leorio flinched at Kurapika's question. "You aren't right? We've only been together for a few days, but I know you better than that. Sure you have a nasty attitude, and you aren't very bright. But you are not a shallow person. I've seen people living with money, but you are nothing like them."

"Tch, you and your logic!" Leorio complained. But Leorio didn't answer his question

"Scarlet eyes." Kurapika told him. "That's why the Kurta were targeted. We Kurta are known for our unique scarlet eyes. When our emotions are heightened, our eyes turn scarlet as though on fire. The eyes in scarlet state, are considered to have one of the seven most beautiful colors in the world. They command high prices on the black market." Kurapika explained. "If I become a Hunter with rich clients, I'll gain access to black market information."

"But you'll have to swallow your pride and become the kind Hunter you despise!" Leorio argued.

"The blow to my pride is nothing, measured against the suffering my clan endured." Kurapika continued.

"Sorry, but I have no noble cause. I'm just after money."

"Don't lie!"

"I'm not lying!."

"You really believe you can buy everything with money?"

"You bet! For the right price, you can buy not only treasures, but dreams, hearts and even people's live!"

"Take that back, Leorio! If you are insulting the Kurta clan, I won't forgive you."

"Why? I'm telling the truth! If I had money, my friend wouldn't have died!"

"Eh!" Kurapika and Chieko said in unison.

"Why are you listening to this anyway, Chieko! You were supposed to run!" Leorio complained.

"But you two are talking so loud, even if I'm a miles apart, I still can hear you both!" She said, forcing Leorio to just accept the truth.

"It was a treatable disease… The problem was that the operation costs a fortune. I was naïve! I thought I could become a Doctor… I wanted to cure kids who have the same disease, and be able to tell them it was free of charge! Then I could tell their parents, too. That was my dream…" Tears are resting from the corner of his eyes. "But I was wrong. What a joke. Turns out that to become a doctor, you need even more money! Got it? The world runs on money…so I want money!"

Kurapika smiled at Leorio.

"I'm jealous…" Chieko said.

"Huh?" Kurapika and Leorio said.

"Kurapika nii-san had a great ambition while Leorio ojii-san had a great hope." She said, looking at the stairs below her. "If I had already taken my revenge, what will I do? What will my future be?"

Both of them stared at her with sad and pity plastered on their faces. Killua and Gon finally catch up with them. "Nee, Chieko! Do you want to see who can reach the top first? The one who loses, must buy the other two winner dinner!" Killua asked her.

She looked and smiled at them. "Sure! Be prepared to lose by a 5-year old girl, Killua-san!" She smiled sarcastically.

"Who said you'll be first? I'll be there first!" Killua argued with her.

"See you at the goal Kurapika nii-san!" Chieko said, ignoring Killua.

"Catch you later, old timer." Killua said, referring to Leorio.

"I'm not old!" He screamed. "I'm a teenager, just like you guys!"

All; Chieko, Gon, Kurapika and Killua stared at Leorio with widened eyes and disbelieve and thunder was revealed slightly behind them as a background.

"Huh?"

"No way!"

"You are lying Leorio Ojii-san!"

"I don't trust you for a bit."

* * *

In every step of stairs Chieko was taking, she could see a man lying there, in exhaustion or fainted. Her frowned deepen as she sighed. "I'm disappointed…"

"Why Chieko-chan?" asked Gon.

"Because…People said that the Hunter exam is really hard, but we have only been running for the past 8 hours." She pouted.

"I'm impressed that both of you can keep with me though…" Killua said.

"Really? He-he" Gon laughed in embarrassment.

"Or maybe it's just that everyone else is too slow." Killua drooped his head. "Man, the Hunter Exam is gonna be a breeze."

"Right! I was expecting more than these!" Chieko continued, pouting in the process.

"Hey, why do you want to become a Hunter Killua?" Gon asked.

"Me? I'm not really interested in becoming a Hunter. I heard that the exam was supposed to be really hard, so I thought it'd be fun. But this is disappointing…" Gon looked at him in awe. "What about you Gon?" Killua continued.

"Well, my dad is a Hunter, so I want to become a Hunter like my dad. I have been raised by Mito-san, so I've seen my dad in pictures."

"Who's Mito-san?"

"My aunt. When he was twelve, my dad took the Hunter Exam and he passes. I wanted to know why he chooses to be a Hunter over being with me."

"Nee, Look! It's the exit! Is the dinner bet still on?!" Chieko asked excitedly.

"You bet!" Killua said.

"Let's go!" Gon continued as the three of them quickened their paces to see who reached the exit first.

'_Now, let's see how many made it this far._' Satotz thought while he jumped through the last stairs, when he turned around to see the contestants, he saw a girl jumping on his left side.

"GOAL!" Chieko screamed. "I win!" while she laughed happily. Gon and Killua came a few seconds after her, Killua using the same route as she does while Gon on Satotz right side. Their faces were happy and beaming slightly against the sunlight.

"I win!" Chieko said happily.

"What are you talking about?" Killua complained. "With your small build like that, you can easily slip through the other contestant without having any trouble!"

"I was faster!" Chieko said.

"I was!" Gon said.

"No, I was!" Killua complained.

"I was faster, so you both have to buy dinner!"

"Nope! I was faster than Killua!"

"I was faster than Gon, so you buy me dinner."

"But I was faster than Gon and Killua nii-san!"

Satotz look at them with disbelieve. _'The one who passes the tunnel first are children?' _He thought in surprise as he continued watching those exchanging debates.

Chieko was tugging on the end of his blazers. "Nee, Satotz Ojii-san, who was faster?"

"I believe that the girl crosses the finish line first, and then the boys crossed the finish line simultaneously."

"I won! Dinner! Dinner! Dinner!" She jumped happily.

"Oh…Then I'll buy Chieko and Killua dinner." Gon said.

"Huh?"Killua asked

"Then, Killua buy Chieko and me dinner!"

"I don't get it."

"Nee, Satotz-san, is this the end of the first phase?" Chieko answered.

"No, we still have a long way to go."

"Oh…I guess dinner have to wait after all…" Chieko said.

* * *

**YOO MINNA-SAN! Thx for reading it until this far, I will make the next chapter much more interesting! I promise!**

**Next time: Chieko finally arrived into the Numere Wetlands. Will she survive Hisoka's taunting? Who will she murder? What will she do when Kurapika and Leorio's lives are on stake?**

**Rate and review please~**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Sneaky child vs Sneaky clown

* * *

Chieko, Gon and Killua were drinking mineral water that Gon had bought in his backpack while sitting and waiting for another applicant. When they arrived, their panted was heard all over the air, but the loudest one was obviously Leorio. While Kurapika arrived slightly a few seconds behind Leorio.

"Kurapika nii-san! Leorio-san!" Chieko said happily.

"Is this our destination?"

"No, it isn't." Gon answered.

"I see…"

"But, the forest is pretty…" Chieko said, letting her hair tie fall loose on her hair and embracing the cold air and the mist around her.

"Really!" Gon asked while he stood up and he smiled in awe. The forests are covered by the cold mists, while the birds are flying and chirping. The sound of the wind and the sound of the leaf rubbing against the tree and the wind seem sophisticated.

"The Numere Wetlands, also known as Swindlers Swamp. We must cross these wetlands to reach Phase Two of the exam. This place is a home to many bizarre animals, many of them being cunning, insatiable creatures that deceive humans and prey upon them. Be very careful." Satotz explained. "If you let them fool you, you're dead. These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit…Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived."

"Don't let them fool you!" a man came out from behind the building. "D-don't fall for it…" he said as he showed up with bruises all over his body. "He's lying to you!" the stranger said, pointing to Satotz. "He's an impostor! He isn't an examiner! I'm the real examiner."

"An impostor?" Leorio said.

"Then who is he?" Hanzo said, referring to Satotz.

"Look at this!" the stranger said, dragging a monkey that had a hair which is similar to Satotz. "It's a man-faced ape, one of the creatures that dwell in the Numere Wetlands! Man-Faced ape love the taste of fresh human flesh. However their limbs are long and thin, so they are quite weak. That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick human into following them into these wetlands, where they teamed up with other animals to kill and devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!"

"Bastard…" Leorio muttered.

"Well, he certainly doesn't walk like a human…" Hanzo continued.

"The one who brought the ape is definitely lying…" Chieko muttered, she was sure no one listens to her muttering, except for Gon and Killua.

Within a span of less than 5 second just after Chieko said those words, three flying cards are flying toward the stranger and Satotz. The stranger fall, accepting the blow, while Satotz catch the card in between his fingers.

The card came from the clown's hand. He laughed as he skillfully threw the cards around on his hand. "I see, I see… That settles it…You're the real one." Hisoka said brought his attention of all applicants to both Hisoka and Satotz.

Hanzo dropped his jaw in disbelieve. "What? He's the real examiner?"

"Examiners are Hunters." Hisoka explained. "Selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any Hunter, bearing the title we seek, would have been able to block that attack. Isn't it right, Chieko-chan?" Now, every applicant's eyes were brought upon the youngest girl on the Hunter exam. "Because Chieko-chan, you were the one who said that _'The one who brought the ape is definitely lying.'_ Isn't correct?"

"Eh!" Chieko seems to be taken aback by Hisoka's question. "Well, you can say that…" she shrugged. "Because…if Satotz Ojii-san is really an impostor, once his cover was blown, he should give signal to his monkey-friend to attack us right?" she said in a childish tone. "But Hisoka-san, it doesn't mean that you have to attack an examiner…"she pouted. "You could have failed the exam again this year…"

"Well, I shall take that as a compliment. However, should you attack me again for any reason; I will report you for turning on an examiner. And you will be immediately disqualified. Are we clear?" Satotz made his point.

"See…" Chieko said again.

Hisoka only put his usual grin. "Sure."

The vultures were landing on the dead man's chest to eat his flesh. "Nature can be brutal to watch…" Leorio commented.

"So he was a Man-Faced Ape, as well." Kurapika noted.

"But, I'm surprised Chieko." Killua said to her. "You can immediately know that he's an impostor…I'm impressed."

She rubbed the back of her head, smiling shyly. "He-he…"

"He was attempting to confuse the applicants, to lure some of them away." Satotz continued.

"We cannot relax our guard." Killua said. "It's really depressing…" as he hunched his shoulder.

"You will be encountering such deception on a regular basis. I believe that a number of you were fooled into suspecting my identity?" Leorio and Hanzo laughed behind the crowds. "Do you understand?" Satotz continued. "If you lose sight of me in the Numere Wetlands fog, you will never reach the exam's second phase. Do bear that in mind. Then, let us be on our way. Please, follow me."

They continue running in the cold and damp grass, Chieko was running, mimicking Satotz movement_. 'It is indeed easier to run this way.'_ She thought happily.

'Tch, another marathon."Leorio complained.

"And we're running through marsh this time. Running on wet requires more energy."

"It's not if you follow Satotz-san example, Kurapika nii-san." Chieko said, jumping happily from Gon and Killua to Kurapika and Leorio. "It's really fun!" she said, jumping here and there.

Killua look at her confusedly. "That looks kind of stupid don't you think?"

"But it certainly looks fun!" Gon said as he follows Chieko instructions and running the same way like Satotz.

But the fog in the air started to thicken, making the clear shadow of the applicants disappear into the mist. Chieko can feel a slightly disturbed atmosphere from behind them.

"Chieko, Gon, I think we should quicken up our pace." Killua ordered.

"Sure! We don't want to lose sight of the examiner after all!" Gon said in his usual happy tone.

"I'm more concerned with increasing the distance between us and Hisoka. Staying too close to him is dangerous. I can smell it in the air." Killua continued.

"Ohh, which explains the disturb atmospheres behind us." Chieko said, expressing her thoughts with a serious face.

"Smell?" Gon asked and sniffed the air around him. "Hmm…I don't think he smells." And then Gon yelled. "Leorio! Kurapika! Killua says that we should move up!"

"Gon nii-san!" Chieko protested.

"Gon! Can't you feel the tension surrounding us?"Killua continued.

"Moron! If I had the strength, I'd already be there!" Leorio screamed.

"Don't worry about us! Just continue forward!" Kurapika screamed.

"Ehh…"Gon protested.

"Let's go, Gon." Killua said, stepping ahead on his speed. While Chieko run in front of him.

"Ah wait!"

As they fogs thicken, more screams filled the air, the sound of the screaming applicants, and the screams of the monsters luring inside the forest. Chieko closed her eyes shut while keeping herself close to Gon and Killua. She holds her teddy bear tight as she heard some of contestants screaming for help as their bodies were crushed behind the mist. At some point, she nearly stumbled and tripped, and Gon helped her stabilize herself by holding her hand.

"Open your eyes, Chieko." Gon said, reassuringly. "Everything s going to be alright."

Chieko opened her eyes, to see that Gon hold her hand tightly and Killua who is slightly ahead; stopped for a moment to make sure she was okay before he continues running again. But Chieko couldn't get rid of the heart-clenching feeling that she felt right after she entered the forest. And then, she stopped and let her hand loose from Gon's grip.

"I'm sorry…" She said, as she turned to another direction. "Please, go without me. I have something I needed to do for a while."

Gon and Killua completely stopped on their tracks as Gon looked at her with sympathetic eyes. "Just make sure you will catch up with us, okay…"

She nodded and ran into the forest. "It's a promise."

"Gon, is it really wise to leave her alone?" Killua asked. "She's only a child you know."

Gon smiled. "I have faith that Chieko will find her way out on her own. She stronger than us after all!" he said as he continue running.

* * *

"I think we've lose sight of the front-runners." Kurapika said from behind the mist.

"Tch." Leorio replied. "Which way we should go?" as he looked left and right to look for another front-runners. He stopped and starts whispering as soon as he sees a familiar figure, Hisoka. "Stop, Kurapika." He said, motioning his hand, to signal for stopping. "Look over there."

Hisoka was trapped by another contestant and they carry weapon to surround them. And behind him, Chieko is standing still. Chieko and Hisoka backing each other.

"Chieko!" Kurapika almost screamed. "What is she doing here?!"

"From the moment I saw you last year," Said the leader of the gang that surrounds them. "I knew you weren't Hunter material. We'll spare you if you swear not to take the Hunter Exam again. And that apply to that girl over there too!"

"What are you doing here anyway, Chieko-chan?" Hisoka asked in his cheerful tone, ignoring the protest in from of him

"Because, I was about to follow Kurapika nii-san and Leorio Ojii-san when I met you and these guys and they start to circle us!" She said seriously. "And it's my first try, why can't I follow the Hunter Exam anyway!" She pouted.

Hisoka laughed. "That's because they think that you outsmart them." He said, taunting them. "Like a predator looking around for small mice." He said in a slightly dark tone, narrowing his eyes at the word 'predator.'

"So…I'm the small mice?" Chieko said, confused.

"On the contrary…" Hisoka giggled. "But, sure." He said, answering the Leader's request."

"Huh?"

"I'm passing the exam this year, so I won't need to retake it."

"Passing? Look at this fog!" continue the leader. "It's impossible to determine which direction the main pack went! Meaning, we've all failed the exam!"

Hisoka smiled again sarcastically, he parted his mouth wanting to say something, only to be stopped by Chieko. She stood in front of Hisoka and points her index finger at the leader. "Are you stupid? We still haven't failed you Baka! I can still smell that Satotz-san is not far away from here!" She said angrily, tick marks starting to form on her forehead. Chieko had enough of this gang and leader thing, trying to block her future to become a Hunter. "And you all play like you are an examiner without a Hunter License!" She said, pointing her index finger multiple times at the leader. She clearly can't stand the presence of this Leader and his so called gang, it makes her want to pull out his head from his neck.

The leader and his follower sweat dropped. _'Smell? Is she an animal?'_

"That's exactly why I'm going to pass." Hisoka said, and smiled in amusement. "Because I have this smart girl over here." He continued patting her on the head "But you guys, having already failed, you wish to play examiner. Hunters require prey. Now, why don't I play examiner and judge whether you are Hunter material?" He said, brought his card between his fingers.

"Shut up!" The leader screamed in frustration whiles the guys who circled them starting to attack all on the same time.

"Hisoka." Chieko said calmly, looking at him from the corner of her eyes.

"I know." He said teasingly "Just stand down, Chieko-chan." He looked at them with boring eyes and circles his card around him. A gust of wind that emit from a simple blow, knock them inside out as Hisoka flipped his card. The Leader now stands alone in his place without any bodyguard at his sides. He looked with widened eyes, filled with the fear of death. His pupils dilated his cold sweat drop from his forehead. Fall on his knees and started crawling, just because he doesn't have any strength to stand back up. "Now then, Chieko-chan. would you do the honor?"

Hisoka smiled in triumph as she said. "Gladly."Her tone is completely different from the usual cheerful and kind Chieko. Her tone and the atmosphere around her completely changed, becoming a cold, ruthless murdered. She started to walk slowly to him as he ran away in fear. She grinned wildly, seeing his cowering and trembling in fear. And without any moment to waste, she ripped his head out of his proper place, letting the blood emitted from him drip into her hand as his body gushed away with blood.

"Such as sneaky little child, I'm impressed…" Hisoka commented, sighing dreamily. "But you haven't passed just yet, Chieko- chan." He said, clapping his hands cheerfully.

"Ehh…" She protested. "You still play that examiner game?" She sighed. "But, Hisoka ojii-san is sneaky too!"

"Ho. What makes you say that?" He said, closing his eyelids and grinned at her.

"Because, you were the one who killed most of the contestants, right?"

"Indeed…but still you weren't supposed to see that kind of scene, not if your friends are here…" He smiled, looking at both Kurapika and Leorio behind him from the corner of his eyes. "Well, care to participate in my little game of examiner?"

"Kurapika nii-san! Leorio ojii-san!" I'm glad both of you are alright!" She said, running to them, but Hisoka grab the back of her clothes, lifting her up in the air easily just like a sack of rice. "Hisoka! What are you doing?!" as she struggles trying to escape from his grip.

"Chieko!" Kurapika and Leorio said in unison.

"Ahh~ what can I do with you, Chieko-chan?" Hisoka said, gleaming as he licked his own lips. Obviously tempted by whatever imagination Hisoka has created over and over since he met this child. Chieko didn't want to know his thoughts, let it be kept safely on his own brain. "Fight you to death? Bathing in your blood?" He shuddered again. "I think you are ripe enough…"

"Sure…whatever." Chieko said, she didn't understand what is it that Hisoka wanted. 'Bathing in her _blood_'? That sounds…creepy and amusing at the same time. But still creepy and weird. To her, Hisoka is still unreadable. At least she knows what Hisoka likes…maybe. She just had to take chances.

"Chieko! Are you insane?! To fight with Hisoka means—" Kurapika screamed at her.

But Chieko can only put her index finger on her lips as she muttered to Kurapika. "Shh…" with a slight grin. "Just let me go down first Hisoka Ojii-san." She finally said. "And let me borrow a knife from Leorio Ojii-san."

"Ho… are you afraid to fight me unarmed?" Hisoka taunted her, but he put her on the ground slowly and carefully like she was a fragile porcelain doll.

"But I haven't learned about the aura-thing! Just for precaution… Please?" Chieko begged with a smile. Hisoka was taken aback with surprise on his face; he never thought that a child knew about nen, raw nen to be exact.

"What are you talking about?!" Leorio protested while cold sweats are dropping from his forehead. "Aura?! And what the hell Chieko! You wanna borrow my knife!" He scoffed. "I'm not letting you fight with Hisoka, let alone borrow my knife!"

Chieko walked to him slowly and stopped in front of him. She raised her hand and opened her palm.  
"Please…" She said with her most childish tone she ever had. "Can I borrow the knife? I promise I will not break it; I will not do anything with the knife to harm myself. Pleaseee~…" She said while giving Leorio a puppy dog himself realizing, Leorio had been pulling out his knife from his pocket and give it to Chieko. Hisoka can only grin at the scene with amusement and laughed as hard as he can.

"Thank you Leorio Ojii-san!" She said as Leorio put the knife on her palm. She threw a glance at Kurapika once and Kurapika's eyes widened in realization.

'_Chieko will bait Hisoka so that we can escape!' _Kurapika is thrown away in fear and disbelief as he realized, this has been Chieko's plan all along. She purposely was looking for Hisoka so that they can follow Satotz as soon as possible. Chieko had been sensing his blood lust since they enter the swap_. 'To sacrifice one-self for others, huh? How sneaky indeed…' _Kurapika thought.

"Leorio."

"What!"

Kurapika started to whisper, his gaze never leaving Chieko. "On the count of three, we will run to opposite direction."

Leorio's jaw dropped. "And leave her alone with the clown?! Are you INSANE!" He said whispering but slightly in a higher voice and it hit him. His jaw closed and he started to clench his teeth, "Bait."

"Exactly." Kurapika replied.

"Now, where do you want it, Hisoka Ojii-san?" Chieko said, licking the knife that she's holding and walked slowly to him. "The shoulder? Stomach? Head? Thigh?" She said, until she was finally in front of him. "Or head?"

Hisoka's knees wobble slightly at the scene, causing him to fall down onto the grass. "Where ever you want it." Hisoka obliged.

Wait… He obliged? This wasn't what Chieko had been expecting… "Then the thigh will do?" She asked innocently.

"Hurry~" Hisoka continue to shudder.

"Soon…" She planted the knife deeply into his thigh, slowly, painfully. Every sensation on Hisoka's skin was burned, hitting his very own nervous system as he smiled happily, encouraging for more. "There's more where I came from…" Chieko said with a poisoning but sweet tone.

"Wait-wait… Kurapika… is Chieko bribing Hisoka?" Leorio asked in distrust.

Kurapika sweat-dropped, he never thought of that before. "Se-Seems so…"

"Ah~ Chieko-chan! More~" Hisoka pleaded.

'_Now…'_

"LEORIO! RUN!" Kurapika commanded. Kurapika went to the left as Leorio took the right, leaving Chieko alone with Hisoka and his blood-lust mode 'ON'.

"Ehh…" Hisoka complained as he let out a sarcastic laugh. "Interesting Chieko-chan, using yourself as a bait to save your friends." He strangles her neck as he speaks. Chieko's breathe become lesser and lesser each time he tightened his grip, but no matter how much she struggle, she can't escape from him. "Ahh~ I love that look…" in each seconds passing, her struggles less than before until she almost stopped and release Leorio's knife from her palm, letting it fall on the grass. Hisoka release her from his hands. "Ah~ I forgot how weak humans are."

Chieko was coughing on the grass as her body lie around, looking for more oxygen. Once she regained her breath, she grazes Hisoka's finger marks on her neck.

"You haven't passed yet, Chieko-chan." Amusement and satisfaction are visible on his tone as he speaks to her. "Tell you what, if you successfully follow Satotz to the second phase of the exam, you pass."

"Ehh…" she groaned. "Still that game? It starting to get boring, Hisoka Ojii-san."

"Not with you friends live on the line~" he taunted in a cheerful tone.

"Tch." True, Chieko starting to hear Leorio's footsteps coming closer to her. "Fine. Where should I start?" without haste, Hisoka lift her body. "EHH! What are you doing?!" and throw her as far as he could. "HISO-BAKAAAA!" She screamed as she fly on the other side of the forest.

'_What should I do? I don't know where I am supposed to land.' _She thought as she comes closely come in contact with the ground but landed on a soft, furry, bouncy… six-legged tiger back. She sweat dropped. _'From all places, why tigers _(TTwTT)_'_ she groaned in protest as she jumped down into the soft grass, surrounded by four or five tigers. _'Tch! When I return, I will give that arse-clown a kick on the chin!'_ she thought as a tick mark is forming on her fist.

* * *

**WELCOME! MY SOLID READERS! HOW? WHAT ARE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU READ THIS FANFIC! Please review~**

**I was still slightly confused about Hisoka's character as I said on the previous chappie, but I'm even more confused about the plot. the plot and my imagination didn't get along you see...**

**Next time: How can Chieko escape from the forest to follow Satotz?! Can she kick Hisoka on the chin as she wanted?! What about the second time of the exam?! Can Chieko take care from the second phase exam wrath?! O.o UNTIL NEXT TIME!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – Cooking contest or Hunter exam?

* * *

One of the tigers are dispensing its fangs, another two are lying on the floor, defeated while the other surviving one ran away. Chieko somehow manage to make their number lesser, but it's only a matter of time before the one that escapes bring the entire clan. _'Tch, they're a hassle. How much time have I spent here? I need to follow Satotz-san immediately.'_ She sighed.

"Look here, you tiger. I need to pass a Hunter exam, so don't get in my way!" She taunted, pointing her index finger at the tiger. But the tiger didn't listen to her, it continue snarls at her and chasing her down. Chieko running away, sweat-dropping in frustration as she went away further from Satotz. "AAAAAAA! WHY DID YOU CHASE ME ANYWAY?!" She supposed to know that talking to a larger predator won't work.

She continued running, but she knows that sooner or later, her body will be torn to pieces just by a sinle claw. _'I miss nice cat that Master Natsumi petted everyday. So soft, nice and smooth tummy and ear'_ And then, her eyes widened in realization. _'That's right! Tiger is a cat!'_ She stopped, sliding on the mud as soon as she sees a feather like plants. She runs quickly to take it. _'This should work!'_ She stopped a few meters in front of the tiger and it also stopped. Two predators staring at each other.

She wobbles the feather like plants that she's holding, shaking it left and right slightly, but it didn't seems to catch the tigers attention. _'Crap.'_ She sweat dropped and the tiger run faster, closer to her than before. Bringing one of its palm high into the air, as it sharpens its claws.

* * *

Most of the contestants already arrived at the second phase of the exam site, they are breathing abnormally, their faces shows everything; Stress and exhausted. They just wanted this exam to get over with and sleep under their blankets lazily. Kurapika and Gon arrived at the exam site.

"Looks like we made it in time." Kurapika said in relieve.

"Chieko, Leorio." Gon turned his head left and right, looking for a child and a tall man with only tie on his neck.

Hisoka smiled in satisfaction as he sees Gon and Kurapika arrived at the exam site in time. He purposely make his Nen visible so that Gon can sense him. And there he was, standing and leaning on a tree while pointing to his right. Gon immediately took notice and headed straight from where Hisoka had pointed.

Leorio with a large bum on his face is sitting and leaning to a tree. He looked as tired and as messy as other people. His face was all beaten up and swollen.

"Leorio!" Gon screamed. Kurapika and Gon immediately run to where Leorio is.

"Man, that stings…" He said, rubbing the part of his cheek with a bum on it. "Why am I all beat up?"

"Huh?" Gon and Kurapika said in unison.

"My memory is kinda hazy." Leorio complained.

Kurapika whispered to Gon. "We probably shouldn't tell him what happened."

"Yeah…" Gon grinned slightly.

"Gon." A new familiar voice comes into their group.

"Killua!"

"I can't believe you actually got here…" Killua said as he walked slowly to them. "I thought you were done for." He said, slightly taunting Gon. "But, I didn't see Chieko everywhere. Where is she?"

"EHH! I thought she was already here!" Gon protested.

"She hasn't come just yet." Killua said. "What happened?"

"She saved me and Leorio from Hisoka." Kurapika explained. "But then, when Leorio went back to attack Hisoka, she wasn't there with him."

"She's dead?!" Killua asked slightly in surprise. "I thought you said she was strong Gon!"

"When I arrived, I didn't see her either…" Gon said, looking down to the grass below his feet. His tone dropped a little, his brown orbs shake a little bit as he clenched his fist. "Chieko…"

"No, there's a probability that she haven't died just yet." Kurapika interrupted. "Gon only said that she wasn't there, meaning she maybe already flee somewhere away from Hisoka."

"Just 3 minutes more." Satotz said through out the crowds.

"We have to save her!"

"Gon! Are you stupid?! It's too risky! We don't even know where she is!" Killua said, tugging his arms around Gon to prevent him from escaping.

Hisoka who had been listening from the beginning of the conversation began to frown in disappointment. _'She didn't pass huh? And here I thought she might have pa—'_ Hisoka's eyelids opened as he hear the sound of animal stepping- no, running towards the exam site at a top notch speed.

"Wait, did you hear that?" Killua asked. "The sound of animal running."

Gon stopped slightly, sniffing the air. "It's a tiger!"

"Tiger?!" Killua and Kurapika said at the same time.

"How can a tiger come this close to the exam site?!" Kurapika complained.

A large roar filled the air around the second phase exam, followed by thundering footsteps.

"What is that roar?" asked the other candidates. "Is it a tiger?!"

"Chieko-chan!" Gon said happily. "I smelled Chieko-chan not far away from here!" but then he looks confused and continue sniffing the air around him.

A tiger come to the exam site, stopped straight in front of Satotz and roar loudly in front of him. From behind the back of the tiger, a small groaning sound can be heard.

"Haa…" Chieko jumped down from the tiger, wiping the cold-sweat on her forehead. "Made it in time." She muttered slightly and petted the tiger beside him. "Thank you! Tiger-san!" and hugged the side if it's head. The tiger can only purr in satisfaction and acknowledgement. "There, there. You can return back now." The tiger whined slightly and walked back into the forest slightly depressed.

"You…" Satotz muttered. "You manipulated an animal in the Numere wetlands?" He asked in disbelief as his pupil started to dilate. And for once, Chieko can see his mouth gaping slightly.

"EHH!" Gon, Killua and Kurapika screamed at the same time.

Chieko ignored him as he sees a familiar figure with abnormal orange hair waving his hand at her and his face oh-looks-so-gleeful while grinning in contentment. She immediately tensed up and proceeds until she's in front of her, she looked at him wearily and frowned.

"Ho…" Hisoka's tone is entertained as always. His eyelids closing as he smiled at her. "Chieko-chan I'm surprised that you can actually made it to the second pha—"He was cut of by a strong kick from under his chin.

"HISO-BAKA!" a blusterous tone filled the air around those two as Chieko rebuked, but the other candidates didn't mind. They always thought Hisoka is a jerk, so when Chieko went and kick him in the chin some of them laughed in satisfaction while the other frowned, thinking about the foredoom of an innocent young girl.

Hisoka stood up while his head is looking up to the tree on top of him. He obviously letting himself be kicked, but he never expect it to be 'that' strong. If he didn't contract his muscles in time, maybe the kick have flown of his head from its place. He pulled his own chin down to see the girl in front of him, not a wound in sight. He was sure he thrown her on the right spot, yet no cut, no sore, no lesion, it's clean, no gushing blood in sight. If it's blood, Hisoka can smell it from miles away.

"Congratulation on passing the second phase exam!" Hisoka continued from where he left off, still plastering the same smile. He knelled closer and holds her head "You pass." Licking his lips involuntarily. Chieko's eyes widened. "Your friends pass too, Chieko-chan. No need to worry, I won't attack them until they are all ripe and juicy." He still whispered. Chieko looked at Gon and the others through the corner of her eyes. "But, I can't wait to bath in your blood." Hisoka's tone are now full of blood lust, he let go of her slowly to see her fear-less and boring expression that was thrown at him. "Soon…"

"Ahh." Chieko protested. "Still that game?"

"Of course!" he replied enthusiastically. "Each player must accept the cards they have at hand: but once they are in our possession, we alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game." Hisoka replied coldly, opening his eyelids.

"How dreadful…to be caught up in a game and have no idea about the rules." Chieko said in the same deadly tone.

"That's life. Life is the ultimate game, and its rules were meant to be broken."

She looked at him, narrowing her eyes. "You were the one who played game with people's lives. You forgot that they are fragile."

For once in his life, Hisoka didn't know how to reply on her comments. He can only chuckle slightly and crosses his arms while leaning against the tree behind him. He wanted to look at her in the eye, instead he looked away. "True…"

"Can't wait to play this game…" Chieko commented sarcastically as she left and went towards Gon and his friends.

"What in the world was that?" Kurapika asked slightly. "Somehow I can feel the dark auras looming over Chieko."

"It doesn't matter as long as she's alive and kicking isn't it?" Killua put both of his arms on top of his head.

"Chieko!" Gon said, catching her attention.

"Ah! Gon nii-san!" Chieko immediately run towards them. "I'm glad that you're all made it here." Her frown and dark atmosphere around her immediately disappear, turning into a wide smile.

Kurapika chuckle awkwardly. "You shouldn't be the one who said that. You only arrive here in the last minute."

"But the tiger helps you know!" She said to them. "It can run reaaaally fast! If I run by foot, I will never make it here." She tilted her head slightly to look at Leorio. "Um… is that Leorio Ojii-san?" she blinked to make sure what she see was right. "Why is he all beaten up?"

Gon went and explain the story after Chieko was thrown away by Hisoka. "And then I follow the scent of his after shave!"

"After shave?" Chieko and Killua said at the same time. Both of them looking very confused and then both of them burst out laughing.

"Yes." Gon looks very confused. "Whats wrong?"

"Nothing." Chieko said charmingly.

"You are a strange guy, Gon." Killua added.

"You think so?" Gon asked and both of them nodded. "Anyway, how can you rode a tiger in the first place, Chieko?"

"Me?" He smiled widened from ear to ear as she played with a plant in between her fingers. "Cat-grass. But I'm surprised, to find one normal plant on Numere Wetland."

"So, cat's weakness is cat-grass?" Gon asked.

"Not weakness... Their favorite toy!"

* * *

The tiger sharpened it's claws while Chieko only stood there, closing her eyes and prepared for the attack, instead of warm blood and internal bleeding, she found the tiger in front of her purring softly and it's pupils widened as it played with the Cat-grass she picked a while ago.

Chieko smiled. "I'm not an enemy, I'm your friend." She said softly, rubbing the back of it's ear. She went to scratch the tiger's back and it gives more purring sounds as acknowledgement.

* * *

"Excellent work, everyone." Satotz said throughout the crowds, brought everyone's attention on him. "Phase two of the exam will occur here, in Biska Forest Park. So, I shall take my leave. Best of luck to all of you." And he started walking again to the Numere wetlands.

"Bye-bye Satotz Ojii-san!" Chieko screamed. "Thank you for your help!" She said, waving her arms high in the air. As other candidates watched Satotz leaving without any reply, Chieko frowned for a bit.

"Don't feel bad." Kurapika said, tapping her shoulder.

"Why should I feel bad?" Chieko asked.

"Because he didn't said good-bye to you?"

"But it's not a big deal right? If he didn't say good bye…" She smiled at him. "Then, he will watch our progress throughout the Second phase of the exam!"

Kurapika's eyes widened. _'It…makes sense.'_ His gaze softens a little bit as he let out a grin and patted her head. "Maybe." He replied. _'True…what he could gain from returning back into the Wetlands, instead of joining with his fellow examiner at the second phase.'_

The large door, slowly slided, revealing a large mansion surrounded by a large park filled with…cooking utensils (?). Even Chieko was slightly perplexed. A woman with green hair accompanied by a large man.

"Will all applicants who passed the first phase please enter?" said the woman. "Welcome. I'm Menchi, the second phase examiner."

"And I'm Buhara, the other examiner." Said the large man behind Machi.

Abruptly, a long back-ground noise of a growl was heard, completely erasing the tense atmosphere between the candidates. It was Buhara's stomach, growling in hunger.

"You must be hungry." Mnechi said.

"I'm starving…" Buhara replied innocently.

Menchi stood up from her couch. "There you have it. Phase two will involve 'Cooking'!" Menchi said happily, pointing her forefinger at the candidate, making the shape as if she was holding a gun.

Most of the candidates faces are filled with shock as they glared at Menchi. "C-Cooking?"

"Wait! Cooking?" said another applicants. "We're here to take the Hunter exam!"

"That's right!" Menchi replied. "Your challenge for the second phase is to produce a dish that will satisfy our palate."

"Why do we have to cook?!"

"That's because, we are Gourmet Hunters."

"Ehh…" Chieko commented in fascination. "Such Hunter exists huh?"

"Yup!" Gon sommented. "Not only working as Bounty Hunters or Information Hunter, there are many fields of Hunter. For example; Treasure Hunter-Hunter that works on finding treasures and go into adventure on an unknown island. And then, Animal preservation Hunter-Hunters that takes care and protect wild or endangered animal"

"Ohh… it sounds interesting though! Gourmet Hunter!" She said with a big grin. "Imagine you would risk your life to boil an egg!" She rubbed the back of her head. "Too bad, but I have never cooked before… I have never done anything in my life that involve, except for boiling some water."

"I also have never cooked before. Mito-san always cook for me, she's an excellent cook!"

"Really! What can she cook?"

"A lot! Maybe she can even fed a whole village!" Gon and Chieko laughed at Gon's comment, apparently Killua, Kurapika and Leorio didn't find the joke funny.

"Both of you are weird…" Killua said. "But now that you say so, I also have never cooked before."

"In the span of four years, I always eat instant food." Kurapika commented, cupping his chin with his finger. "They are easy to cook and tasted good too."

"Tch. My foods are always scorched, but I have no problem eating it, since I ate alone." Leorio said, muffling slightly because of his bum.

Most of the contestant laughed at Menchi's reply. "Gourmet Hunter?" They continued laughing until Menchi's eye brow wrinkled and she let down a sigh.

"So, Gourmet Hunter, what are we supposed to make?"

Menchi looked slightly pissed. "Buhara."

"The required ingredient is pork. You are free to use any meat from any species of Biska forest pig. You must use the cooking facilities here to prepare the pork. And you only pass if we both find it delicious."

"And we will evaluate more than just the taste." Menchi said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Don't underestimate the intricacies of cooking. Got it?" She opened her eyelids, making her green orbs visible. "When we both eaten our fill, the exam will end."

"Then, the exam's second phase…START!" Buhara continued and slam his stomach, making the sound of a Gong instrument.

All the other candidates immediately ran through the forest, looking for the nearest pig to hunt. Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio are running from behind the crowds. Chieko still stood at her place.

"Chieko, what are you doing!" Leorio screamed. "The pig will run out if you didn't catch it now!"

"It's fine, Leorio Ojii-san." She smiled reassuringly. "There's only on type of pig in the Numere wetlands anyway."

Gon, Killua and Kurapika are stopped dead on their tracks. Menchi and Buhara looked at the girl intently.

"But, if there's only one type of pig, then the less number of pig we can get to pass the second phase!" Leorio continued.

"And how did you know that anyway?" Killua asked.

"When I went to the second phase, I was using a tiger as transportation." Chieko said. Gon, Killua and Kurapika nodded. "When the tiger are running, I saw many pigs, eating the six-legged tiger I had just defeated."

"That girl is right." Menchi interrupted. "There's only one type of pig in the Biska forest…Carnivore pig that is."

"And that's why I stayed, because more people come to the Carnivore pigs, more candidates will be eaten." Chieko said.

"You are a sneaky one indeed, Buhara." Menchi said.

Buhara grinned. "I hope they don't get eaten by the pigs."

* * *

Chieko, Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio are running towards the forest now, since the road is clean.

"Where did you see the pigs Chieko?" Leorio asked.

"If we were to find the pigs there, it means we have to go back to the Numere wetlands Leorio Ojii-san. They have moved already…maybe."

"MAYBE?! You…" Leorio face-palmed.

Gon started to slide down to the hill below them.

"Oh, Gon! Wait for me!" Killua said, sliding after Gon. But then Gon stopped while Killua is behind him, causing Killua to bump into Gon's back. Followed by Leorio and Kurapika.

"What was that about, Gon?!" Killua said, yelling slightly.

Chieko jumped to where they slide, refusing to slide the same way as them as she hide behind Leorio. "Shh! Lower your tone, Killua nii-san!"

"Found them." Gon said, interrupting both of them.

"Huh?"

"Pigs!" Leorio said.

"It's HUGE!" Chieko said, dropping her jaws as her face turned white. They were eating left over bones from some animal.

"Uh…They're chewing on bones." Leorio continued.

Chieko whispered to him. "Didn't I tell you already?! They ate a tiger before!"

"Uh…now that I had seen them, I'm starting to believe you Chieko ha-ha…" Leorio laughed sarcastically.

The pig in front of them, break the bone into pieces with only it's teeth as it let out a pig's squeal. All of them started to run away from the pig that's chasing them. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, Chieko had finally understood what the phrases meant.

"Now you believe me, Leorio Ojii-san!?"

"Yeah! Sure! Whatever…Let's just RUN!" Leorio screamed at her, and continue running as fast as they can. Slowly, they made their way towards the other contestants and the pig slammed them with their huge nose. Chieko see the nearby tree and jumped on top of it until she reached to the highest branch.

"Chieko!" Kurapika protested.

"I will be fine! Just run!"

Same thing happened to Gon, he obviously wanted the pig to faint by slamming its head into a tree. The pig Below Chieko slammed its head, but nothing happened, instead, the tree was falling down.

'_I have no choice…'_ Chieko thought as she falls into the pig's forehead, striking it with her right elbow. "Eh.." she was expecting hard skull on the forehead to break and at least the pig fainted. It wasn't even 5% of her hit, she was merely 'elbowing' and poking the pig on the forehead, yet the pig passed out for good…

The apples that fall from the tree that Gon used as bait, seems to do the trick also. Both pigs fainted, just by the slightest touch on the forehead. Chieko and Gon looked at each other before the laughed again.

"Such simple trick, why didn't I realize it sooner?!" Gon said, while laughing.

"True! Carnivore pig's weakness is on the forehead." Chieko laughed again.

"I see…" Kurapika interrupted. "The have strong noses in order to protect their soft forehead."

All the candidates who hear that immediately jumped and hit the pigs straight in the forehead. Soon, all candidates are bringing their pigs to be cooked as Buhara stared at them in awe.

"Oh my, they caught a lot." Menchi said as Buhara laughed at the scene in front of them.

'_Now the problem is cooking.'_ Chieko thought immediately after wearing her apron. _'What kind of food the Gourmet Hunter likes? Does Menchi eat the intestines as well? Nonetheless, Menchi looked bored by how they cooked the pig…'_ Most of the contestants roast their pig over a huge flame as they turned it around. _'Then what is another method of cooking the pigs? Boiled? Deep-fried?'_ Her ears starting to let down a smoke. _'ARGH! I don't really care! I don't know how to cook either!' _she slammed the knife at the pig and divided the muscles into smaller pieces, covered it in flour and egg and deep fried it. _'Ughh…If only I can give Menchi the food I can cook the best…'_ She sulks at her own world. _'I can only give her boiling water.'_ Her eyes widened in awareness. '_That's it! I can give her what Natsumi can make best!'_

Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio looked at Chieko who suddenly cut the pig into smaller pieces, _'She looks like she's angry…'_ and then Chieko let out a steam from her ears. _'Now she's confused?!'_ immediately Chieko sulk but then brighten up again with a smile. All four of them sighed. _'Mood swings…'_

Far away, Satotz are watching them through a small telescope. "This year's applicant are very talented." He truly had been watching them since the beginning. When he eyes Gon and his friends once again, he took interest at Chieko, who had sudden changes in mood swings. When she smiled in glee, she tilted her head, left and right to look for a specific person. _'Is she…?'_ Chieko looked up, narrowing her eyes slightly to see who it is that had been watching her mood swings. When she knew it was Satotz, she smiled at him and waves her hand. _'Impossible! From this distance?! Even Menchi didn't know I was here!'_

Killua looked at her with puzzled looks. "Who are you waving to, Chieko?"

"Satotz Ojii-san."

"Eh! He hasn't left yet!" Killua asked in distrust.

"Seems like it."

Chieko and the others had finally finished cooking. She went into the line and stood behind Kurapika to present Menchi and Buhara with their dishes. Most of the contestants' dishes are being rejected by Menchi. _'I should have guessed…' _Chieko reflect on her own words. Some were too raw, some was overcooked. In the end, Menchi protested because they all cooked the pig the same way.

"What are you cooking Chieko?" asked Kurapika. "It seems that you have the smallest dish in here."

"A meal of course." She said in triumph.

Kurapika sweat-dropped. "I know it's a meal…" and he chuckled. "What did you cook for them?"

"My least favorite meal."

"Ehh… your least favorite?"

She nodded with spirit. "What did you cook Kurapika nii-san?"

"A stack of cuted pork meal, decorated with the freshest fruits and vegetables in Biska forest." Kurapika said in a tone that almost sounds like he was showing-off his dish.

"Ehh…sounds delicious." Chieko replied.

"No one's passed yet…" Leorio interrupted.

"And Menchi hasn't even take a bite…" Kurapika continued.

"Hey! Can't anyone out there satisfy me?" Menchi protested.

"I see!" Kurapika said, clicking his fingers together. "This phase of the exam is cooking test, but they're judging us on originality and powers of observation."

Gon and Leorio cupped their chin with their fingers. As if they were enlightened.

"I see…" Leorio said in triumph. He immediately went in front so that he can be judged by the Gourmet Hunters. "How do you like my cooking?" It was the same roasted pig like everyone else, the only difference is a small flag was stacked on top of the pig.

Menchi threw Leorio's dish into the air, while Buhara eat it before it fall onto the floor. "Is this supposed to be a kiddy meal?!"

Next was Gon. He presented the same grillen pork only decorated by flowers and ribbons. "I'm next!"

Menchi threw the dish aside and Buhara went to catch it. "It's basically the same thing!"

"I am next!" Kurapika interrupted. "Please judge my creation." Indeed, Kurapika's dish looks different, not like other contestants.

Menchi groaned. "Finally, something that resembles actual dish…" she grabbed spooned the dish with a fork and eat it.

"Wo~! Menchi eat the dish!" Chieko interrupted.

"You are not bluffing right?" Leorio asked.

"I'm telling the truth! Look!" Chieko pointed to Menchi.

'_The point is to use the provided facilities and ingridients.'_ Kurapika thought in his mind. _'To highlight the main feature, the pork.'_ Menchi eat the pig in her fork slowly and looked slightly angry. _'In other words, the taste is insignificant!'_

Menchi threw the dish upwards. "YUCK!"

"Huh?" Kurapika's eyebrow wrinkled as his eyes widened.

"Appearance is important, but only if it also tastes good. You are not better than #403!"

Kurapika returned to his station gloomily as Leorio let out a laugh and he sulk. "Not better than Leorio…"

"Too bad!" Leorio said to him.

"Then, I'm next!" Chieko said happily. "This is my first try at cooking so I'm sorry it doesn't taste as good as what you eat everyday."

"Ehh… You are quite young to become a Hunter." Menchi commented. "How old are you?"

"5." Chieko said happily as she put the covered dish in front of Menchi.

"So, you expect us to eat a dish cover?"

"No." Chieko lifting the dish cover slowly and the inside of the cover are glittering like it was its own sunlight. "My main dish is…Sandwich!" Double triangle sandwiches are lining up beautifully as the food it self let out a light.

"As a first timer it's not a bad job. The only food in this place that looks genuine." Menchi commented, changing her face to her usual stupid smile she wore as she eyed the sandwich. "The shape is perfect, the cut is perfect…"

"It smells good too!" Buhara interrupted. Menchi poked the sandwich as Buhara took one triangle sandwich and eat it full. "It's delicious!"

Menchi eyed the sandwich once again before putting it into her mouth slowly.

'_Please taste good, please taste good, please taste good, and please taste good…'_ Chieko thought and repeating it like a mantra over and over until Menchi had finally swallowed it.

Menchi can only looked at her hopeful eye and stared at her intently. "You..."

"Y-Yes!" Chieko immediately tensed up.

"This dish is worse than #403! It looks good on the outside but crappier on the inside!"

Chieko's face went white as she sit next to Kurapika and sulked with him. Both of their faces was covered by their hair

"Not better than Leorio's dish…" Kurapika muttered.

"Worse than Leorio Ojii-san dish…" Chieko muttered

They lowered their head even more and sulked into their own emo corner.

"Ah! I'm full!" Buhara said, smiling.

"Yeah, I'm stuffed too…" Menchi said. "Therefore, no one passes. We're finished here!"

* * *

A bean head with formal attire was talking to the phone and closes it once he's done. "What should we do, Chairman?"

Another voice across the room sighed. "It's not like we have a choice didn't we?"

* * *

**DONE! I woke at six in the morning and stopped at 3 in the afternoon to finish this one! Rate and review please!**

**I personally enjoyed writting the innocent Chieko, she looked so cute when I imagine her in my brain. It's not like I don't like the smart-observant-good at talking-sulking-pouting-angry Chieko, but I think i didn't really suit her innocent smile and sometimes it looks like as if she's older (especially the part where Hisoka and Chieko exchanging words in this chapter, it looks like she was 17-18 years old! when the truth is she was only 5.)**

**I was about to make Chieko the only one who passes the second phase of the exam but then I thought: What about she make an excellent dish on the outside but taste even crappier than Leorio's dish? ha-ha... I hope it works like a charm on you guys XD I don't think I wrote that one well, just coz I didn't give enough description about what she feels and what happened in this chap.**

**Nest time: As you guys know, in the next chap, the will fly down to grab an egg! What image will Netero bestowed upon her? What exactly will happen in the next chap! The truth is, I have to watch the anime first then I can write.. he-he**

**Review pleaseee~**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Boiling an egg to pass the Hunter exam? Really?

* * *

The crowds are starting to get angry because of Menchi's role as an examiner is indecisive. Some people are screaming at her, some mocking the Gourmet Hunters while Menchi can only reply cooly.

"Aw…" Chieko protested. "We fail…" Her eyebrows wrinkled.

"And to think that we will pass the exam this year…" Gon sighed.

"But I guess there will always be next year." She smiled to Gon. Well, truthfully she didn't want to accept the reality either, but what can she do? She can't cook after all. And if the examiner request the candidates to cook, it doesn't look like she has a choice right? The only things she can do right now is accepting the fact that she didn't pass the exam and maybe try to learn more about cooking more. The Gourmet Hunters catch her attention more than black-list Hunters, it sounds like fun too!

"I guess so…" Kurapika interrupted. "Cooking got the best of me…" He sighed in frustration as his shoulder slumped down again.

"The exam is over?!" The other candidates screamed.

"This isn't funny!" said another one.

A loud crash filled the intense atmosphere they had faced. It turns out that one of the candidates smashed the cooking table with his bare hands as the table divided into two and other smaller pieces. "I won't accept it…" His own nails are digging on his palm as he fisted it. "I absolutely refused to accept this!"

"In the end, you still failed." Menchi replied in a much calmer tone.

"Stop screwing around!" He screamed. "You asked for pork, so we risked our lives to—"

"I said to prepare the pork in a manner that we both found delicious." Menchi interrupted. Both of her hands were placed on her hips. "None of you made anything remotely delicious."

Buhara looked at Menchi from the corner of his eyes, closing one of them. _'Here comes Menchi bad habits…'_

"You all did almost the same thing. There was no effort made…" Menchi continued. "Just when I thought someone actually tried, they only changed the appearance but it doesn't satisfy my needs." There was a very fast moving arrow, stabbing Chieko and Kurapika in the heart deeply, it turns out to be Menchi's choice of words. "No one attempted to emphasize the flavor. I'm positive that none of you took cooking seriously!" She went to sit on the couch and crosses her legs. "In other words, you all don't have the guts to try anything new."

"Shut up!" The same man pointed his forefingers at her. "I'm not trying to become a cook or a gourmet; I want to be a Hunter!" The other candidates behind him cheered him saying _'That's right!'_ "My goal is to become a Black-list Hunter. "I refuse to let a mere gourmet Hunter decide my fate!"

Chieko shook her head in disappointment as she sighed. _'He's so dense…But his protest may help us regain the right into taking the second phase once again…or ended up killed by Menchi.'_ Chieko didn't like where this mouth-fight is going, but it doesn't look like Menchi will back up either.

"Too bad you got stuck with a mere Gourmet Hunter as an examiner…Better luck again next year?" Menchi said mockingly.

The man was now furious. His face is deep red in anger as he run forward to punch Menchi in the face. "Why, you…Don't mock me!"

Menchi can only sit calmly on her couch as she looked at the man in front of her with boring eyes. Sadly, Buhara interrupted, with one slide of Buhara's arm, he throw that man against a really tall pillar and the candidates make his own downfall there.

Chieko whistled. "…Lucky."

"What are you talking about Chieko?" Gon asked.

"Isn't obvious, Gon." Killua replied.

"Buhara, don't interfere." Menchi said softly.

"Well…if I hadn't intervened, you's have killed him, right?" Buhara replied.

Gon, Kurapika and Leorio didn't expect this at all. Their faces turns white with fear.

"Probably…" Menchi replied."Let me clarify this…"She stood up from her couch, grabbing four knives with her. "We frequently venture into the dens of ferocious beasts, searching for ingredients." She throw her knives into the air, skillfully playing it as the knives twirled in circular motion. "Every Hunter knows some form of martial art. You lack focus and the willingness to experiment." She captured the knives with one hand as it landed softly on her palm. "That alone disqualifies you from becoming Hunters!"

"That said, it would be excessive to fail every single applicants." Said a voice up in the air and it sounded like it came from a megaphone., brought everyone's attention to a flying airship on top of them.

"That's the symbol of the Hunter's association!" someone yelled out.

The air-ship was huge! Chieko never thought that even the Hunter committee would come to fix Menchi's mistakes. Menchi had every right to become an examiner, so if she said everyone failed, they failed. But then she saw a little figure jumping from the platform, the figure went bigger and bigger until it looked like an old man in white attire. He landed harshly on the ground, causing dust to stir around him as his land. Chieko must admit, that's one hell of a freaking-awesome jump she had ever seen, she inwardly applauded and everyone gaped, including her. Once the dust was cleared, the sound of footsteps filled the air as an old man walked toward Menchi.

"The chairman of the Selection Committee… Chairman Netero." Menchi bowed deeply in front of him.

"Well, I work from behind the scenes. I only take action when there's an issue, like now." Netero explained. "So, Menchi-kun."

Menchi suddenly looked rigid and the looks in her eyes, something that Chieko never seen…Recognition. "Yes, sir."

"You failed all of the applicants because you disapproved of their reluctance to try new things?" Netero said, looking at Menchi's chest for a while.

All of the things that Chieko see in him disappear into the thin air. _'Perverted chairman…'_ Her eyebrow twitched.

"No sir…I lost my cool when one of the candidates insulted Gourmet Hunters." Suddenly Menchi looked apologetically. "And I make the exam harder than necessary."

Chieko looked at Menchi happily as if she was watching a circus show. Menchi who looked though and rough, lectured by the Chairman of the Hunter Comitee. Who in the world wasn't excited when they see that?

"In other words, you're aware that this exam was unacceptable. Very well, how about this. I'd like you to continue serving as an examiner. But you must also participate in the new test you propose." Menchi gaped. "Is that acceptable?" continued Netero.

"That's true…" Menchi closed her eyelids as she grinned happily. "Then the new challenge will be…" She opened her eyes and her green orbs immediately staring at Chieko.

'_EHH!'_ Chieko suddenly tensed up as cold sweat was dripping on her forehead. _'Don't tell me Menchi-san listen to Gon's conversation with me at the beginning at the exam?!'_

Menchi grinned even more ferociously. "Boiled egg!"

Chieko slumped down on her knees. _'As I thought (TT^TT) Master Natsumi is this what you meant by; 'Better slip with foot than tounge"?'_

Gon looked confused. "Isn't that what we were talking about before?" He said pointing at Menchi.

"Maybe we hear the wrong words…" Chieko said slumping her shoulder downward.

After Menchi stared at Chieko she returns her gaze back to Netero. "Chairman, can you taje us to Mt. Split-in-Half in your airship?"

"Mt. Split-in-Half? I see what you are doing." Netero chuckled. "Certainly, I can."

* * *

They were all standing next to a really deep canyon, she stood in between Gon and Killua…When Chieko said deep, it meant really deep. When she looked down, it gave her chills but not from the strong wind. She had no problem with heights, but this is a different matter. She gulped slightly. _'If only I know how to fly…'_

"Don't worry!" Menchi looked at Chieko. "Even if you fall, there's a very-very deep river over there."

"River?" Chieko thought. Indeed she saw a small, thin silver ribbon. But she never thought that it's a river.

"The current is very strong, so you'd better not fall in, unless you wanted to be washed ashore miles from here." Menchi taunted.

Chieko gulped again. _'Drowned?'_ She remembers that incident in the ship where her feet were pulled by Gon. If he wasn't there, she would probably have drowned. _'If only I know how to swim too…'_ Chieko sighed and looked at Menchi. "That's reassuring…"

"Now look again below."

"What was that?" Asked the other candidates.

Many lines that looked a lot like spider web, dangling on either side of the cliff. "A Spider Eagle's web." Menchi answered.

"They build webs down there?" asked Gon.

"Below those webs are Spider Eagle eggs. They build their webs in deep ravines, to protect their egg from predators. This makes their eggs, the most difficult ingredients to obtain. The eggs are also known as dream eggs." Menchi replied.

"Wait-wait a minute…" said the same candidate who's face was mashed by Buhara protested. "You don't mean we…"

"I sure do." And she jumped into the cliff as if she was sky diving, grabbed the spider webs skillfully with an acrobatic style as she easily twirled around it. The other candidates looked at her in horror. Suddenly, she went to grab the egg but continue falling.

"Hey…She jumped down!" Leorio screamed. "Is she trying to kill herself?"

"No, she's not." Kurapika answered calmly.

"Huh?"

In a fraction of second, the air immediately burst up and Menchi fly again back up, bringing the egg with her.

"Ahh!" Gon smiled in awe.

"That looks fun…" Killua said.

"Updrafts huh?" Chieko looked at Menchi as Menchi smiled to her. "Sounds interesting!"

"This Ravine has updrafts that helps the hatched chicks fly up the web." Menchi jumped back into the side of the cliff. "There, now I just need to boil the egg." She said happily.

"Y-You are kidding right? No reasonable person would jump down there…" said another candidates.

"I had been waiting for this!" Gon screamed.

Chieko, Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio were the first to jump into the cliffs. All of the candidates follow, while some of them didn't. The one, who jumped down, grabbed the egg and the updrafts fly them back up again. Now, Chieko know the feeling of flying. She didn't need to learn about it anymore. Just feeling it is good enough. Chairman Netero looked at the Rookies with a smile.

The others now put their eggs into a boiling water and waited.

"I don't know how long a normal egg was cooked. Will the Spider-Eagle egg be the same?" Chieko asked.

Gon and Killua laughed. "It's true! I also didn't know either." Gon said.

Once it was boiled the other peeled it, while Chieko was juggling the egg, because it was too hot. Kurapika, Killua and Leorio ate it first happily.

"I can see why they're called dream eggs." Kurapika said.

"Eh, where's Gon nii-san?" Chieko asked, looking left and right for him. It turns out; Gon was giving his egg, so that Todo (The man whose face was smashed by Buhara.) can experience the taste of the dream egg. _'Then it means Gon nii-san didn't eat the egg…_'

Chieko went to Gon, divide the egg in half and give one of them to Gon. "Here you go, Gon nii-san!" She said smiling.

"Ehh!" Gon looks surprised, "I already eat my share so it's okay." Gon patted her on the head.

Chieko shoved the egg in front of Gon's face. "Gon nii-san is a bad liar." She grinned. "After all, the bet from running still on right? So I still get my dinner!" She smiled gleefully.

Gon's gaze softens and took the egg slowly. "Thank you, Chieko. You're a good friend." And they both eat it morsel by morsel.

Without them realizing, chairman Netero had been watching both of them intently as he smiled. "We have a lot of rookies with potential."

Here ends, the second phase of the exam. As the 42 candidates enter the air-ship once again to proceed into the third phase.

* * *

All 42 candidates were standing in front of Chairman Netero next to him are the bean-headed guy that Chieko once took interest in.

"Allow me to introduce myself to the remaining 42 applicants. I am Netero, chairman of this year's Hunter Exam selection committee." He explained.

"I'm his secretary, Beans-desu." Said the bean man next to him.

"Originally, I'd planned to make my appearance during the exam final phase, but as I'm already here, I love the tension in the air! So I'll stick around for the rest of the trip." When Netero was making his speech, Killua and Chieko are yawning at the same time; the only difference is Chieko didn't cover her mouth.

"We are scheduled to arrive at our destination tomorrow morning, at 8 AM. You'll find dinner waiting in the dining hall. You are also welcomed to get some rest. In other words, you're free to do as you please until you are contacted." Bean explained.

"Okay, Gon!" Killua said. "Let's explore the airship!"

Once hearing the word airship, Gon's eyes flashes and he smiled wildly. "Un! Chieko, you coming?"

Chieko yawned. Her eyes are now forming only a line. "No, I'm to tired…"

"What about dinner?" asked Killua. "You win the bet right, don't you want us to treat you?"

"Dinner can be done later." Chieko yawned as she rubbed her eyes.

"Ok, don't blame us if you miss something interesting." Killua said with his taunting smile.

"Whatever."She slumped down her shoulder. "If you want an adventure just go already..."She said, flapping her hands as a signal to go.

"Then it's settled. Let's go, Gon!" Killua said and they ran out to explore the ship.

"How can they have so much energy?" Leorio asked, looking at them with awe. "I'm hitting the sack."

"You can say that again." Kurapika answered. "However, I do have one concern…"

"What is it Kurapika nii-san?" Chieko asked in a low tone as the three of them walked out of the room.

"How many more phases are there?" Kurapika asked her. "Have you probably guessed this Chieko?"

"Oh!" This question brought Chieko awake. "I don't think they have mentioned that…"

"On average, there are five to six phases…" Tonpa interrupted.

"Which means, we still have three or four to go…" Leorio complained.

"All the more reason to rest now." Kurapika said to him and they walked out again.

But then, Chieko stopped dead in her tracks as she felt Tonpa smiling maniacally. "But you should be careful." He taunted. "The secretary only told us when we'll arrive at our destination. It's possible that the third exam could take place on this airship itself and it doesn't necessarily mean we'll be contacted at 8 AM."

"Huh? Are you serious?" Leorio turned his head to see Tonpa.

"Hmm, that does make sense…" Kurapika said, thinking about Tonpa's words once more.

Tonpa kept on blabbering about the third phase of the exam and how can it ended without us noticing since we fall asleep. Chieko felt something was amiss, but she's to tired to pick up the pace. She didn't listen to their conversation ended up thinking about a warm blanket as soon she closes her eyes.

"Hey, what do you think about it, Chieko-chan?" asked Leorio. "Do you felt the third exam will commence on the airship?"

Chieko turned to see Leorio but she yawned instead. "I don't really trust Tonpa Ojii-san." She said rubbing her eyes. "So I don't think the exam will commence here. But then if you put it to a lot of thought, maybe Tonpa was making us thinking about the third exam on purpose so that we couldn't sleep peacefully…" She said, muffling for a bit. Chieko didn't even understand what she was talking about; she can only blabbering about the first thing that came up on her mind. Tonpa can wait, sleeping comes on the list first.

"What the hell…" Leorio commented. "Oy, Chieko! Are you sure?"

"Like I have lied in the first place…" Chieko yawned again. She never lied about her feeling. If she didn't find he/she interesting, she will leave them. But if she didn't find them trustable, she will also stay away from them. It's not like she doesn't like them, she just didn't want to know them more.

"Well, that was some good advice." Leorio said, referring to both of them. "Thank you! We will bear that in mind." Leorio said.

"We shall bear that in mind…" Kurapika said. "Let's go, Chieko."

"Sure…" She said tiredly.

"L-let's all do our best…" Tonpa said from afar, rigidly. _'Damn that girl, how can she look into my carefully though plan?'_

When they were walking down the corridor, Kurapika stared intently at Chieko's back. "Chieko…" He finally said. "You don't like Tonpa don't you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. It seems that Leorio had taken interest in this conversation too, that he decided to join in, slowing his steps, until he was together with Chieko and Kurapika.

"It's not that I don't like Tonpa-san…" she said again, her tone weary. "Sometimes he's smart for his own good, but he always used that to destroy rookies that joined the rookie exam."

"I remember you saying about Rookie Crusher before the first exam began. What was that?" asked Leorio.

"It's Tonpa-san nick name. Rookie crusher. His entire 35 attempt is not to pass the Hunter exam, but to destroy the rookies that follow the Hunter exam." She yawned again. "But then I was too tired to think about anything else…"

Chieko sit on the floor with Kurapika and Leorio on her sides. She folded her feet to the back instead of lying there on the cold floor. She refused to get sick because of the cold.

"There's no chance that the next phase will be held on the airship." Kurapika explained. "After a lot of thought, if it was their intention, they wouldn't have said that we were free to do as we pleased."

"I see…" Leorio answered. "But Chieko is really sharp isn't she?" Leorio said, referring to the sleeping girl beside them. "Guessing Tonpa was lying even though she was almost half asleep. There was only one person in this world that can do that! But then Kurapika, why did you ask Chieko _'did you hate Tonpa?'_ was it?"

Kurapika sighed. "Children have the most sensitive feelings, especially involving people who were lying or telling them the truth. If she said she didn't trust Tonpa, then we shouldn't trust him too."

Just after Kurapika finished explaining, Leorio had already fallen asleep with his mouth open and Chieko had already asleep soundly. Kurapika chuckled slightly before he finally went to sleep.

* * *

All 3 examiners are sitting on the sofa, eating their share for the day.

"Hey, how many applicants do you expect to make it?" Asked Menchi while she's chewing on the food happily.

"You mean pass the exam?" Buhara asked again.

"Yep! This year, we have an impressive group." She said dreamily. "Though I did fail them all at one point…"

"But doesn't it depend on what the upcoming phases consist of?"

"That's true, but didn't you notice it? One of them had this whole aura thing going on. What do you think, Satotz?"

Satotz put his fork on his plate. "Oh, yes. I like the rookies this year."

"Ha! So you agree?" Menchi replied. "I think #294 has a good shot!." Menchi said, referring to Hanzo.

"I'm partial to #99 and #406." Satotz replied referring to Killua and Chieko.

"They look like a selfish, spoiled brat…" Menchi grinned. "What do you think, Buhara?"

"Well…" Buhara said, thinking deeply. I have to agree on Satotz about #406. But there's another person on my mind. He isn't a rookie #44 (Hisoka) is the one I favor. I'm sure you noticed, but when #255 (Todo) was throwing a fit, it was number #44 who was really on the verge of killing someone."

"I did notice that, of course." Menchi intervened. "He could barely restrain himself from tearing off our heads. But didn't you realize? He was already that way from the moment we appeared."

"Really?"

"Yeah, that's the real reason I was so edgy." Menchi pouted. "He kept challenging me"

"I had a similar experience." Satotz replied. "He should be carefully monitored. Though it pains me to admit this, we are birds of a feather with him. However, his affinity for darkness is far stronger. As Hunters, we are continually seeking out rivals. Ultimately, the Hunter Exam is but a place to find opponents worthy of respect. And every once in a while, we encounter someone who hits the floor running, when we try to slow things down. An oddball of sorts."

Menchi and Buhara stared at him, completely understand what danger can Hisoka bring to them if they weren't careful. But then, Menchi grinned wildly. "Ehh Satotz-san…#99 and #406 huh?" She starting to giggle like a middle school girl. "Are you a pedophile? Bipolar? Why are you targeting children Satotz-san?"

"Same rule applied to you… bald-lover." Satotz explained calmly as he drinks his tea.

"I don't like him!" Menchi said, flustered. "I just found him interesting! There are many interesting applicants this year, why you choose children from 42 candidates. If I can choose again, I'll definitely choose #404 (Kurapika). He looked smart. One of the two people in the second phase who at least get the idea of a genuine food."

"Ohh…searching for a young leaf huh?" For some reason, Menchi's forehead formed a tick mark at Satotz comment. "Then, who's the other one from the two people?"

Menchi immediately tensed up. "#406."

"Wait, #406 is the girl with the teddy bear right?" Buhara asked. "She can make a good sandwich."

"But it doesn't taste good!" Menchi yelled. "Such a waste of talent." Menchi said as she sighed. "And you!" She pointed her fork at Buhara. "You let all 70 candidates passed your test! I can't believe it…"

"#406 rides a sixxed-legged tiger to get to the second phase of the exam. She could have fooled me." Satotz commented. "Turns out, she was using cat-grass."

"Ehh…pretty interesting for a child."Menchi said. "I got the boiling egg idea from her, she was talking with #405. And I thought it's a great idea! She doesn't seems to know that I'm using her idea for a change!" She said proudly.

Buhara and Satotz sighed inwardly. _'There goes Menchi bad habbits again…'_

* * *

"_Mom, look!" I pointed to the large flower in front of me as a large insect with strange dots covering the yellow flower. _

_A beautiful woman with summer hat and knee-length dress run to her. "What is it?" Her tone was soft, like a melody of a beautifully composed song. Her wavy black hair seems silky and soft under the hot, blazing sun as it waved swiftly, following her every movement. Her red eyes shine like a gem, a soft red, yet deep color of red. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my whole life. She run to her and crouched down, she hold her summer hat as she looked to where I was pointing._

"_What is it?" I asked her. My childish tone didn't seem to compare her beauty. The only thing we have in common is the color of our hair. But my hair was straight and dark; it doesn't look as soft as hers._

_She looked at where my fore finger pointed while I continue staring at her but finally my gaze turn towards the weird creature. "Ah…this?" She slowly pointed her fingers, letting the animal gently fly and landed on her fingers. When I looked at it closely, its wings are so pretty, the embedded color of nature never seems to satisfy me. "This is a butterfly." She said, while I continued gaping at the 'butterfly'. She looked at me, chuckling slightly as she sees my eyes filled with fascination and awe._

"_It's pretty…" I finally said, still gaping, looking at the creature intently with my wide eyes._

_She giggled. "I know you will say that." She said lovingly, letting it fly into the air. Both of us watching it go, awkwardly as we laughed, sitting on the grass accompanied by a soft wind as we watched the flowers and the grass dancing together in harmony. Both of us lay on the grass, as the wind knock our hats slowly, letting our hair flown, following the breeze. She hugged me softly, like I was a porcelain doll and I hugged her back. My smile widened as hers too. "Always remember that we love you, Chieko. No matter what happened."_

_She let go of me and she poked my nose lovingly as she chuckled, looking at my face. She cupped both of my cheek and pulled it slightly. "You are so cute, Chieko."_

_I reached for her face and do the same thing she did. For no reason, she laughed at me while I look at her confused. "I love you too mother." I said muffling, because my cheeks are being pulled._

_She laughed again. "Of course you love me!" she said hugging me again._

"_Mom…"_

"_Yes? What is it Chieko?"_

"_My cheek hurts…"_

"_But you look so…adorable."_

"_Then mom looks adorable too!"_

"_Of course we look adorable! We are mother and daughter after all." She said, letting her fingers on my cheek loose slightly. She totes me into her arms; swing me slightly, before capturing me between my hips. "Shall we go look for more butterflies?"_

* * *

Chieko woke up, hugging on her blanket slightly as she looked at the clock on the wall. 6.48 AM in the morning, she sits up slowly, wondering why she lay on the floor while she was sleep sitting before. She holds her head with her right palm, clutching it. _'Memory…huh?'_ as tears slowly escape from the corner of her eyes.

* * *

**Thank you for reading the fanfiction *bows* Chapter seven is not that special. I'm so sorry. now, before you kill me with those sharp metallic object, reviews are pretty much appreciated. And if you want to ask something about Chieko, she'll gladfully answers!**

**Chieko: *yawned* You were the one who will going to answer since I'm your OC...**

**Author: Yeah...whatever I own you anyway.**

**Chieko: Author didn't own Hunterxhunter. Just me!**

**Next time: Chieko confront Killua during his moment of blood-lust! what will she do? Will Killua kill her? Will Killua hate her? What will be Chieko's response when she knew Killua is a Zoldyck? What can she say about the third phase of the exam? Will she accept the truth about her hope? Will her flame of revenge dimmed slowly?**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – The Sky and the Sun.

* * *

Chieko never like to dream. Most of her dreams were fractures of memory that she spent with her parents when she was little. Some of the memories were sad, some were happy memories, and some of the memories took her breath away. She always picture herself charmed by her parents, mostly she was accompanied by her mom, her dad popped-up in her memories sometimes, not much but not little either. They were always there in her time of needs, never let their eyes averted from her. It's too bad Chieko was only with them for a while. But in those short years, they have thought her a lot of valuable things about life and hope. She was their ray of sunshine, and she knew that fact. She used to thought, if she's the sun, then her parents are the sky that supports the sun. The clear blue sky that always keeps away clouds so she can shine brightly.

That was the past. Now, her sky was torn apart into dull color of gray, the black clouds and thunders are looming in front of her while she was obscured. The sun dimmed slowly. She knows, she will lose her glow sooner or later. The sky was her life. Without the sky, the sun will fall on the earth. The skies sustain the sun. It was only a matter of time before her fall, and she will once she got her revenge.

She loathes it when she was crying. It makes her feels so weak, vulnerable; the feeling of a damp face, covered in snots is what she hates the most. It makes people think that she's a mere child. But what can she do? She IS a kid. A kid with lost hopes and dreams, solely thinking only about her benefits and dumping others she didn't deemed worthy.

'_It's just a stupid dream.'_ She wanted to say it out loud but again, she knew it wasn't a dream. She got up slowly from the floor, fold her blankets and put it between Kurapika and Leorio before heading out the door. She took a deep breath and exhales it_. 'Just a dream, just a dream, just a dream.' _She repeated in her mind as she took off and walked slowly into the hall. She kept on closing her eyes as she walked until she felt something squishy under her feet.

It was blood.

The blood dressed the hall to the core. Not that much, but it seems that two candidates of the Hunter exam has been killed due to certain reasons… at least that was what she thought. Their cuts are clean and vital, right on the head. She sighed; blood oozing on the hall doesn't scare her. It will take much more than that to make her jump and run away like a cat. _'I think they did something stupid and one of the candidates killed them...well, they deserve it.'_ She sighed again in frustration as her eyebrow twitched. _'How am I supposed to cross the hallway with blood on the floor!?_' But she got no other choice to make; she will just turn around the hall and go on the other direction.

Just then, something covered her eyes as she jolted in surprise, she touched her face, but it seems like a pair of hands is obscuring it.

"Guess who it is." A familiar voice said playfully.

"Killua nii-san!" She said cheerfully.

"Correct!" Killua answered while putting away his hands from her eyes and put it in his pocket.

Chieko turned around as she smiled; it seems that Killua's presence calm her just a bit. "Killua nii-san what are you doing here? Didn't you say you wanted to explore the airship?" But then she looked away from him. "Ehh? Gon nii-san isn't with you?"

Killua laughed. "I already finished exploring the ship with Gon hours ago. Why? Feeling guilty not joining us?" he said in somehow a mocking tone as his grin widened.

"You didn't answer my questions…"

He rubbed the back of his head as he protested. "God, you and your brain. Fine, fine. We were playing with the old man Netero and Gon was still playing while I quitted early."

"Eh? Killua nii-san quitted in a game?" She asked in a surprised tone. Killua was never the one to quit a game, he was as competitive as hell. Proven by Chieko when they bet on dinner last time.

"Yup! He was on my nerves! So I ended up killing these guys." Killua said, referring to the dead guys on the floor.

"Ehh…" Chieko said in amusement. "Well, I think they deserve it. But next time Killua nii-san, don't go killing people on the corridor."

Killua laughed again, but harder this time. He was clutching on his stomach. "That's your reaction?! You really are a riot! Just like Gon! Gon had the same reaction!"

"Huh?"

"You didn't think I was joking right?" He asked, finally he finished laughing, and wiping away his tears from his eyes and they walked away from the corridor. "You and Gon were the person who ever responded like that."

"But, you were telling the truth right?" Chieko asked innocently.

His laughter died out as he looked into Chieko bright blue eyes. "What makes you say that?"

"A hunch."

Killua sighed. "That's weird; Gon had the same reply just like you did. But people only like me because they can't ever tell whether I'm serious. What makes you woke up so early anyway Chieko?"

"A dream." She said in a flat tone.

"Nightmare?" He asked in a curious tone.

"No, just dreams…memory to be exact about my mother." Chieko frowned.

"Family?"

"Yes, what about Killua nii-san family?"

"They are breathing…maybe."

"Breathing?" Chieko asked as she tilted her head. "Like inhaling air and exhaling? Just breathing?"

"Yup!"

"What did they do for work?"

"They're assassins."

"All of them?" Chieko asked in surprise. She never thought Killua came from a family of assassins.

"See! Just the same reaction as Gon." Killua protested and chuckled slightly. First was Gon reaction toward his parents and then Chieko's reaction toward the murder scene.

"Zoldyeck right?" Chieko asked to Killua.

Killua's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"A hunch. Well, mostly because the Zoldyeck family is the most professional assassins. So, Killua Zoldyeck. But Killua nii-san is still Killua nii-san."

"What do you mean?"

"You see, Master Natsumi teach me about people around me and how should I appreciate them. She said, _"When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares."_ I find Killua nii-san a good friend." Chieko said to him with a smile.

Killua smiled. It was hard not to be happy when you got two close friends who accept you for who you are. "Friends…huh?" he muttered.

"What is it?" Chieko asked in confusion.

Killua chuckled. "Nothing. Wanna see what Gon's playing?"

Chieko smiled wider. "Sure!"

* * *

Chieko and Killua went to where Gon played with Netero. She peeked through the door, seeing Gon, jumping recklessly here and there while Netero dodged him skillfully. Gon has a real spring to his step, he moved so fast, but Netero was faster. He kept on dodging Gon by barely using his right hand and his left leg.

"Netero Ojii-san only using his right hand and his left leg?" Chieko asked to Killua.

"Yes, eventually it got boring and I quit, but Gon wanted that old-man to use his other hand."

"Didn't seem to be working though…"

Suddenly, Gon was thrown into the door, causing it to opened abruptly while Chieko flying into the wall.

"That hurts Netero-san!" Gon protested. He stood up and swipe of the dust from his clothes and looked at Killua. "Killua! Didn't you say you quit?"

"I'm here to accompany Chieko." Killua said, putting his hands in his pocket.

Gon looked left and right. "Where is she?"

Killua pointed to the wall behind Gon and there she was. A crater surrounding the wall as she got hit straight in the head. She sits down slowly with a large bum on her forehead. "It hurts…" she muttered, slightly touching the bum on the forehead but not directly touching it. She didn't realize that she will be thrown into the wall once she got there, so the throw make her surprised.

"Chieko-chan!" Gon said startled. He never thought that Chieko and Killua were peeking through the door. "Are you okay?"

"Somehow…" she stood up slowly. "That was one hard throw…" It looked like it really hurt, her forehead was slightly swollen as the bum was shining in a bright red color.

* * *

Killua finally finished putting some band aid on her forehead, while she closes her eyes. "There, all done!" Killua grinned. They are all now sitting on the play-room with Netero and Gon. "But I never would have thought you would hit the wall with your forehead." He smiled, rewinding the scene before his eyes once again, while laughing as loud as possible while clutching on his stomach. "And it was one large bum!"

"Gee…thank you for your concern, Killua nii-san, that's very reassuring." Good thing she got long bangs that covered her forehead, no one can see her bum now. She knew the bum will disappear in a matter of time. _'At least it won't leave a mark.'_

Killua still laughed. "I was just joking."

"Are you really okay, Chieko?" Gon asked in worriedly.

"Relax, it was just a bum…" Chieko said with a smile.

"But your forehead manages to broke the wall." Gon said childishly while Chieko blushed.

"That doesn't mean I'm thick-skull-ed!" Chieko said while Killua laughed again.

"Ah! That's right! You want to play Chieko?" Gon asked. "Whoever catches the ball, get the Hunter license without an exam!"

"Really?!" Chieko asked in surprise.

Netero nodded, twirled the ball on his fingers wit a smile. "Only if you catch the ball before 8 AM."

Chieko looked at the clock. "That's four hours to go!" But she was more concerned with her stamina for the next exam. If Gon and Killua tried their hardest but still failed to catch the ball, it means Netero is not just playing around. She thought for a while, looking at the ball and looked again at Netero. "I think it'll be okay. Mind if I try for a while?"

"Sure!"

"Then Gon nii-san, tag!" Chieko said, bringing her palm in the air while Gon high-five her. She puts away her shoes and her socks and tying her hair in a pony tail. "Are there any rules I supposed to know?"

"No, you are free to attack me anyway you like."

"Okay." She put her teddy bear down and crouched down for a moment. She closed her eyes and takes a deep breath, before running toward Netero.

"Woah, Chieko is fast!" Gon commented.

'_She got real speed.'_ Netero thought. _'But it will take years for her before she can attack me head on.' _And then she disappeared. _'What?'_ Netero looked everywhere for her from the corner of his eyes.

"Where did she go?" asked Killua.

"The top…" Chieko said, before landing a kick toward Netero's skull. She missed, her kick landed on the wooden floor beneath her instead of Netero's head. She continue running toward him, trying to catch the ball, while Netero dodged it easily. She runs in front of him and preparing to land kick on his chin.

'_My chin, but what she really aim is…_' Netero dodged her kick but Chieko aims for his wrist, causing the ball to fall slowly.

"Chance!" Chieko screamed, her hand reached the ball just a few inches away. But she failed to catch the ball, thrown by Netero's speed. She landed on a wall, using it as her jump step before jumping on the floor gracefully. "How did you do that Netero Ojii-san?!"

Netero laughed. "I barely moved."

Chieko never looked so happy in her entire life. When was the last time she got real action like this? She grinned as big as she can before running toward Netero again.

'_The same trick won't work on me twi—'_Instead of running toward, she turn around, aiming for Netero's back_. 'Ehh, Interesting…'_ She kicks Netero on the back and he flew forward. _'It's time for the role to be changed.'_ Netero thought in happiness

And then she stopped, looking confused. "Why did the kick work?" and then she saw Netero turned around and ran after her. "EHH!" She runs, avoiding Netero as fast as she can, she back flipped, jumped over a wall and she was wiping the floor with her face at the end.

"I know you can do more than that." Netero said, swirling the ball once again.

Her face was bright red right now, no wonder...she was cleaning the floor with her face."Eh? What do you mean?" Chieko asked, pretending not to know what was happening.

"You barely used your strength. Why don't you used your full strength now?" Netero taunted.

"Eh? That was not Chieko's full strength?" asked Gon in confusion.

"For a while, Chieko was having the lead. If she didn't tell Netero where she was in the first place, she would have caught the ball easily." Killua answered.

Chieko was furious, she didn't know what hit her but if she didn't get the ball right now, things can become pretty dangerous."Should I really catch the ball?" Chieko asked. "If I failed to catch the ball here, will I fail the Hunter exam?" She tried to maintain her façade, but it seems that her mask are falling apart pieces by pieces.

"No, this is just for fun. And I will really give the Hunter license if you manage to catch the ball." Netero answered quickly.

"Okay," Chieko prepared her stances. "Here I GO!" She run quicker than before, Gon and Killua can't see her movements at all, all they see was blur image going around in random direction to averted Netero's gaze away.

Netero catch her leg in a flash, making her dangling upside down and she couldn't move anymore. "Your attacks are becoming boring."

But Chieko can only grinned in satisfaction. "Got you…"

A really thin strap of iron are blocking Netero's movement, when he tried to move his head for a bit, his right cheek was touching slightly with the iron as it bleeds. "This is…"

"Iron technique; Spider's trap." She finished and jumped away from Netero. "Make sure you don't move, a simple touch can make a cut so deep."

Netero didn't move as instructed. "I know this technique…"

"Well, everyone knows this technique." She said, slightly bored as she moved acrobatically jumping lines through lines before catching the ball away from Netero's grip. "It's a common technique, but I didn't realize even the Chairman of the Hunters association would fall on such a cheap trick." She unbind the strap of iron from throughout the room, before it elastically enter her small pocket on the left side of her hips. "You can move now, Netero Ojii-san."

Gon and Killua are now speechless. "She…she get the ball."

Chieko bounce the ball up and down on the floor. "Yeah…I catch the ball." She throws it back to Netero. "But I fail."

"Fail?" Gon asked. "But there were no rules."

"But it's not fair right? Netero Ojii-san didn't use anything except his body parts and I use an object to win the ball. It's called cheating." Chieko explained. She didn't like to cheat; Chieko loves to play any game, fair and square. By only playing fair, makes the game most interesting. "So, I fail."

"Ohh…wise decision. But I never thought that a mere child can master Iron technique." Netero chuckled slightly. "Your teacher must be a great one."

"Thank you Netero Ojii-san!" Chieko said with a smile. "I would love to play another game with you. But are you alright? Besides your cheek of course."

"Relax. I'm as healthy as horse."

"It's awesome Chieko-chan! What was that technique again? Spider trap? Would you mind teach me that move?" Gon asked her happily.

"But I haven't mastered it. Maybe we could ask Natsumi-san to teach both of us when we get back home!" Chieko said happily.

"I-I can't believe it…You actually manage to catch the ball." Killua said in awe.

"But I cheated."

"Doesn't matter!" Gon said happily. "After this I will be the one who will catch the ball!"

"Are you stupid Gon?! It's useless! You won't be able to take the ball from him!" Killua screamed.

"Yeah, I don't care about the ball, Chieko got the ball already. I wanted to make Netero-san use his right hand before the time runs out." Gon said cheerfully.

"Good luck Gon nii-san! Thank you Netero Ojii-san for letting me played even if I cheated." She put out her tongue and smiled sheepishly. "You can relax, Netero Ojii-san, I didn't put any poison on the strings, they were just usual strings."

Gon and Killua sweat dropped. "Poison?"

"That's okay; it's been so long since I've been having a blast." Netero answered.

Chieko was dragging Killua out of the room. Killua is jumping around, saying to Gon about how stupid he is. "Thank you again, Netero Ojii-san!" Before going out through the door.

"What are you doing Chieko?! I need to give that air-head a lesson!" Killua protested. But Chieko didn't reply. Her eyes are empty and she was walking aimlessly toward the hall. Killua shook her by the shoulder. "Oy Chieko, are you okay?"

Within a while, her eyes finally regain some life. "Ah, yes. I'm…okay."

"What were you thinking?" Killua asked out of curiousity.

She trembles for a while before she stopped. "Just before…I almost kill Netero Ojii-san to get the ball. It's pissing me off."

Killua's eyes widened. Chieko was never one to swear, but such a rare coincidence was hard to get by. "Why don't you forget about that?" Killua said with a smile. "I also almost killed that Old-geezer to get the ball. In the end I killed two of the candidates. No need to think about it." Killua patted her on the head. "You did okay."

"I did?"

"Yup!" Killua pulled her as he run towards the corridor. "Remember the bet from before? Do you wanted to redeemed it now?"

For once, Chieko felt her burden was lifted even for just a bit. The guilt stays, only it become lesser. _'Friends…huh?'_ Chieko smiled. "I got a better idea and cheaper too!"

Killua looked confused. But Chieko is Chieko, what kind of trick she will try to pull except innocent tricks. "Sure! What is it?"

* * *

A voice from the intercom brought Chieko's attention. "Everyone, I apologize for the long wait. The airship will soon arrive at its destination."

"Get off me you brats! We are almost there!" Leorio protested. "And to think that you brats are disturbing my sleep…" His sentence was cut by Chieko, Killua and Kurapika's sound of laughter. They crouched on the floor, laughing as hard as their breath can take them. "What is it?"

Chieko's eyes are teary and she smiled wider. She tried to suppress her laughter but it fails. "Why…Why don't you see for yourself…Leorio Ojii-san…"

"What should I see?"

"Your face…" Kurapika commented, chuckling for and looking away from Leorio.

"My face?" Leorio quickly grabbed his suitcase and taking a mirror from it. And he gasped the worse scene in front of his face as he stared at the mirror. Chieko swear she almost see the mirror cracked. Leorio's face was oh-so-beautiful, the color of red was smeared on his lips and even outside his lips, his face was white from flour and he wore a thick pink blush on both of his cheek. He was wearing a green eye shadow on his eyelids, and as he blinked, his fake long eyelashes follow. Leorio dropped his mirror and closed his suit case and started to walk slowly towards three of them. "Who did this to my awesome face?"

Chieko looked at Killua and Killua did the same.

"Killua nii-san did it."  
"Chieko did it." They said at the same time, pointing their index-finger towards each other.

Leorio was scary looking right now, scarier than before because of his make up. "You BRATS!" Chieko and Killua are running away from Leorio as they laughed as hard as they can.

"Kurapika-san! Good morning." Gon said politely.

"Ah, Gon. I didn't see you at all last night, where have you been?"

"Playing he-he…" Gon smiled. "What are they doing?"

Kurapika chuckled again. "They pulled a prank on Leorio and right now they're paying the price." He said, chuckled again at the sight where Chieko and Killua were sitting politely while Leorio stood up in front of them, ready to give a long lecture.

"What prank?" Gon looked at Leorio's face and then he burst out laughing. "Leorio-san, that looks good on you!" Chieko and Killua laughed again as hard as possible.

Leorio groaned. "Not you too Gon!"

"Everyone…" said the voice at the intercom, making Chieko and Killua stopped laughing. "We have arrived."…

* * *

The place was huge! And tall too! _'It's beautiful…'_ Chieko gasped in awe. _'But scary too…'_ Everyone was gathering on top of the tower, some people appreciate the view, some people like Leorio tch-ing because they didn't have a fine morning.

"Ehem…" Bean muttered. "Everyone, the exam's Third phase will begin here, at the top of the trick tower. To pass this phase, you must reach the tower's base alive. The time limit is seventy-two hours. With that, we will begin the Third phase. I will pray for your success." And he enters the air-ship once again. "Best of luck to everyone!" He speaks through the intercom.

"Bye-bye Bean-san! Thank you for everything!" Chieko screamed and wave at him.

Chieko and Gon crouched down and looked at the side of the tower in awe.

"Are we supposed to climb down?" Leorio asked. Chieko could no longer laugh at him because his face was magically all-cleaned-up from the make up earlier.

"That's impossible Leorio Ojii-san, we must learn how to fly first…" Chieko answered.

"That would be suicide." Kurapika answered again.

Just then, a man behind them chuckled. "Maybe for a normal person." He looked confident and slowly climbs down the tower, barehanded. "But a top-class rock climber can handle this, no problem." He said as he climbed down the wall skillfully.

"Wow…" Killua commented, all five of them stared at the man.

"He's going down pretty fast." Gon said.

"He will die." Chieko finally said. Who won't? She meant, no matter how professional he/she at a subject, when he do things carelessly, they will fail. In this case, this man risked his own life.

The man laughed. "Looks like I'll be the first one to pass the Third phase."

In between the distance, the sound of wind was coming closer to the tower. Each second pass as the sound of the wind come closer to the man.

"Quick! Climb up!" Chieko screamed at him.

But the man didn't move at all, he was too scared, the shadow finally got closer until it was standing- no, flying in front of him. "Stop! Stay away!"

Chieko, Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio's jaws dropped as they stared at the poor man.

"Help!" He screamed. One of the monsters grabbed him by its teeth.

"Ah, they flew away…" Chieko said childishly.

"G-Guess we can't climb down the side…!" Leorio muttered. All of their eyes widened as they saw the man fly away, with some monsters… Chieko pitied that man. But she already told him to climb up, and he didn't heed her instructions.

"Yeah." Kurapika said.

Hours passed by, but there's nothing that they can do. Chieko, Gon and Killua went to explore the top of the tower for a bit to do some 'investigations.'

Kurapika went after them but after walking a few steps, he stopped.

"Huh? What is it?" Asked Leorio.

"There are fewer people around. I count 23 which suggest almost half of the applicants have already found an exit."

"No way. When did they do that?"

"That means there must be some hidden doors that lead below." Kurapika explained to Leorio as he crossed his arms on his chest.

"Kurapika! Leorio!" Gon screamed.

They run toward Gon. "What is it, Gon?"

"Look, I found a hidden door." Gon said, crouching down as he pushed the tiled floor

"I see now. So we can descend by flipping stones." Kurapika said.

"Great job, Gon!" Leorio said, tapping Gon's shoulder.

"But that's not the only one." Chieko explained. "There are six more hidden doors in the area where we are standing." As she pointed to each of the door.

"Six hidden doors located in the same area." Kurapika said, cupping his chin with his fingers. "It sounds suspicious to me. Some could be traps."

"And it looks as if each door can only be used once…" Killua said. "We try opening a door someone else used, but it won't budge."

"Judging by the door's size, only one can fit at a time."

"In other words, only one person can use each door. We'll have to split up." Killua explained once again. "Chieko, Gon and I decided that we're each going to choose a door."

"No hard feelings if one of us springs a trap!" Gon said cheerfully.

"So, Kurapika nii-san and Leorio Ojii-san, what will you gonna do?" Chieko asked them. But when she stood on each door, she was sure there were no traps what-so-ever. But one door gives out a creepy aura for a while and Chieko will choose that door no matter what. She won't risk her friends live over some exam.

"I can live with that." Leorio said. "Luck is part of the exam after all."

"I have no objection. Then that settles it."

They stood at each doors and said farewell for the last time.

"Let's go on the count of three." Leorio said again.

"I guess this is farewell for now." Kurapika said with a grin.

"We'll meet up again at the base of the tower." Gon said.

"Best of luck to all of you!" Chieko said happily. And she knew deep inside she may not see them again.

"Then, let's go…" Killua said. "One!"

"Two!" Gon screamed happily, looking at the doorway below him.

"Three!" Chieko continued as all of them jumped together at the same time into the secret door.

Gon, Killua and Kurapika landed savely at the bottom of the room. Chieko landed on something hard as she clutch her head in pain and Leorio landed on the floor. When they looked at the room under the secret door, they were all suprised. It turns out they landed on the same room.

"I guess that's a short farewell…" said Kurapika dusting his clothes off of dust.

"Oh, so all the doors led to the same room…" Leorio said sheepishly.

"I think we are missing something in here…" Kurapika said under his breath.

Gon looked left and right. While Killua looked at Gon's behavior, confused. "What is it Gon?"

"Now that you mention it, Kurapika…something is indeed missing in here…" Leorio said again, poking his head trying to remember what's missing. "My suitcase is here. Kurapika is here, Gon is here, Killua is here, Chieko is…" Leorio pointed to a brick wall when he mentioned Chieko. "Huh? HUH?!"

"Chieko is not here." Gon said to Killua.

"WHAT?!" Leorio screamed.

* * *

Chieko landed on a very hard object. She was sure it almost crack her skull, it hurts quite much, making her eyes teary for a moment. Once she stood up, Chieko looked suprised. Instead of traps what she see is much worse than that. Why is he here?! It wasn't a mere coincidence right? And she landed on his head of all places! The fact that the dusty old room making her clothes dirty didn't bother her. Her heart pounds abruptly as she saw him. It will be better if she died in a room full of traps right now, or fall into a deep hole with no way out as she rot there in peace. How badly she wish for such options to be available to her right now. His eyes gleaming in satisfaction as his lips curled deeply. She groaned in protest as she saw him...A demon dressed in clown attire.

"We meet again, Chieko-chan~" He said, licking his lips in excitement.

Chieko narrowed her eyes, definitely didn't like what she was seeing before her blue eyes and she frowned. "Hisoka…"

* * *

**Finished! I'm so sorry I didn't upload as soon as possible... I'm so sorry! Christmas was taking a tool on me TT^TT And I love Christmas!**  
** I remember people were reviewing on my fanfiction, so here;s your Christmas gifts.  
**

_yanatobosofan's-friend_**: Thank you for being the MOST solid reader at Hunter x Hunter! I appreciate it! You should give me more building reviews like the others XD but I love your reviews. They soothes me in my time of needs. so thank you very much :D  
**

_echo andalice**: **_**Thank you to you too for reading my fan**** fiction! XD I'm ecstatic! He-he! Review as much as you can and please open your inbox as soon as possible I wanted to share my thanks wit****h you personally.**_**  
**_

_Nispedana_**: You were the newest member who read my fan fiction! :D I have read your reviews, so I just want to make things clear for a bit. First, thank you for appreciating my first chapter :D I love your review a lot! Second, Chieko didn't remember all of her memories with her families, sometimes it just come and go like the dream in the last chapter. She only remember the very day where her parents were killed. I think I mentioned in the first chapter that she need to ask other villagers on 'How her parents looked like?' yes, some kind of trauma and the dark memories are taking her happiness pieces by pieces. I think that's about it.  
**

**If I didn't make things very clear, I'm so sorry...I will try to make it up to you by editing the chapters. I hope I didn't make Chieko like 'Mary-sue' in this chappie...  
**

**Merry Christmas and Happy New year everyone! You can give me reviews as a Christmas present!  
**

**Thank you too these people who followed my story too: **_yanatobosofan's-friend_**_, _**_winteravenue_**_, _**_miwakulau1208_**_, _**_echo andalice_**_, _**_Yamiroo Alice_**_,_ **Mikkota** and **_Lesychan**,  
**_

**Thank you for those who favourite this stroies too: **_yanatobosofan's-friend**, **winteravenue, ssup7750 _**and**_ miwakulau1208**.  
**_

**Good news the angel bring,  
Glad tidings to the earth they sing:  
To is the day a child is given,  
To crown us with the joy of heaven**

**Remember, if Christmas isn't found in your heart, you won't find it under a tree. May God bless you~ :3  
**

**Next time: Chieko was trapped with Hisoka! What will she do so that she can pass the third phase of the exam? What will the exam be? Will she get out alive? What about Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio who already realized that Chieko wasn't with them? What can Chieko do to stop Toguri from being killed? All in due time, my friend.  
**


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